WA vaulters Kurtis Marschall and Nina Kennedy in pole position to scale new heights as Olympics loom
Original article in The West Australian 4 December 2023
Glen Quartermain. Images by Halim Mellick
West Australian pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall says a bronze medal at this year’s world championships has given him belief he belongs on the podium ahead of the Paris Olympics.
Marschall, 26, shared bronze with American Chris Nilsen with a vault of 5.95m, behind Filipino John Obieno (6m) and the great Swede Armand Duplantis (6.10m) in Budapest in August.
A dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist, it marked the second time Marschall had cleared 5.95m in two months.
“It was the first time I had capitalised at a major championship,” he said.
“Competing against the best guys in the world, everyone being there, on their best day - and medalling… mixing it with the top dogs, that was pretty awesome for me.
“To tick that box going into next year fills me with a fair bit of confidence.”
Marschall and fellow WA vaulter, world champion Nina Kennedy, have both qualified for the Paris Olympics and took a break from training to mix with stars of the future on Monday ahead of the Australian All Schools Championships at WA Athletics Stadium.
The Australian All Schools Championships, which will run from Friday to Sunday, is the pinnacle for school-aged track and field athletes and features more than 1200 students. The championships have unearthed some Olympic and Paralympic icons, including Kennedy, Marschall, Cathy Freeman, Matt Shirvington, and Sally Pearson. The last time they were held in Perth, in 2019, WA sprinter Taylah Cruttenden announced herself with gold in the 100m and 200m.
This year’s WA crop includes under 16 pole vaulter Kassia Brown, U18 sprinter Olivia Dodds, who has already run a world U20 qualifier and holds U18 and U20 200m State records, along with U17 sprinter Josiah John, who has run a world U20 100m qualifier.
Kennedy and Marschall are coached by Paul Burgess at the West Australian Institute of Sport and remember the All Schools titles as “where it all began”.
Marschall was once one of those starry eyed youngsters and now has Paris in his sights for a chance to compete against the US-born Swedish vaulter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, who holds the world mark of 6.22m. His victory in Budapest marked his sixth successive major title – following European, world outdoor and indoor championships in 2022 and Olympic and European indoor victories in 2021.
“Six golds, six years, seven world records. The only thing I can really beat him at his golf,” Marschall said.
“I hope to mix it with these guys and come away top two, three at the Olympics behind the G.O.A.T. of the sport - the greatest guy who has ever lived, who is pushing the boundaries, taking the sport to where it has never been before. It is awesome to be a part of it.”
Marschall will compete on the indoor circuit in Europe in February, return for the Australian trials in Adelaide before heading back to Europe in June for the lead up to Paris.
Kennedy won’t compete in the Australian domestic season, focusing on training before she heads to Europe in June.
She shared the world championship gold medal with American Katie Moon in August with a vault of 4.90m before setting a new personal best of 4.91m a week later in Zurich.
Like Marschall, Kennedy now has the belief she needs to match her talent, after she jumped below her best while injured at the Tokyo Olympics.
“Heading into to Tokyo, it was new. I hadn’t been to an Olympic Games and I was quite nervous, where I have just come off a world championships gold and am just excited. Let’s get the ball rolling,” Kennedy, 26, said
”Let’s just see what I can do. There are no limits. Let’s just roll the dice and go for gold.”
Original article in The West Australian 4 December 2023
Glen Quartermain. Images by Halim Mellick
West Australian pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall says a bronze medal at this year’s world championships has given him belief he belongs on the podium ahead of the Paris Olympics.
Marschall, 26, shared bronze with American Chris Nilsen with a vault of 5.95m, behind Filipino John Obieno (6m) and the great Swede Armand Duplantis (6.10m) in Budapest in August.
A dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist, it marked the second time Marschall had cleared 5.95m in two months.
“It was the first time I had capitalised at a major championship,” he said.
“Competing against the best guys in the world, everyone being there, on their best day - and medalling… mixing it with the top dogs, that was pretty awesome for me.
“To tick that box going into next year fills me with a fair bit of confidence.”
Marschall and fellow WA vaulter, world champion Nina Kennedy, have both qualified for the Paris Olympics and took a break from training to mix with stars of the future on Monday ahead of the Australian All Schools Championships at WA Athletics Stadium.
The Australian All Schools Championships, which will run from Friday to Sunday, is the pinnacle for school-aged track and field athletes and features more than 1200 students. The championships have unearthed some Olympic and Paralympic icons, including Kennedy, Marschall, Cathy Freeman, Matt Shirvington, and Sally Pearson. The last time they were held in Perth, in 2019, WA sprinter Taylah Cruttenden announced herself with gold in the 100m and 200m.
This year’s WA crop includes under 16 pole vaulter Kassia Brown, U18 sprinter Olivia Dodds, who has already run a world U20 qualifier and holds U18 and U20 200m State records, along with U17 sprinter Josiah John, who has run a world U20 100m qualifier.
Kennedy and Marschall are coached by Paul Burgess at the West Australian Institute of Sport and remember the All Schools titles as “where it all began”.
Marschall was once one of those starry eyed youngsters and now has Paris in his sights for a chance to compete against the US-born Swedish vaulter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, who holds the world mark of 6.22m. His victory in Budapest marked his sixth successive major title – following European, world outdoor and indoor championships in 2022 and Olympic and European indoor victories in 2021.
“Six golds, six years, seven world records. The only thing I can really beat him at his golf,” Marschall said.
“I hope to mix it with these guys and come away top two, three at the Olympics behind the G.O.A.T. of the sport - the greatest guy who has ever lived, who is pushing the boundaries, taking the sport to where it has never been before. It is awesome to be a part of it.”
Marschall will compete on the indoor circuit in Europe in February, return for the Australian trials in Adelaide before heading back to Europe in June for the lead up to Paris.
Kennedy won’t compete in the Australian domestic season, focusing on training before she heads to Europe in June.
She shared the world championship gold medal with American Katie Moon in August with a vault of 4.90m before setting a new personal best of 4.91m a week later in Zurich.
Like Marschall, Kennedy now has the belief she needs to match her talent, after she jumped below her best while injured at the Tokyo Olympics.
“Heading into to Tokyo, it was new. I hadn’t been to an Olympic Games and I was quite nervous, where I have just come off a world championships gold and am just excited. Let’s get the ball rolling,” Kennedy, 26, said
”Let’s just see what I can do. There are no limits. Let’s just roll the dice and go for gold.”
