Marschall and Kennedy Kick-off European Tour
Australian representative pole vaulters Kurtis Marschall and Nina Kennedy have opened a European tour with a competition meet in Mannheim, Germany.
Marschall and Kennedy were two of the Australian track and field team’s brightest stars at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April and the duo have embarked on an overseas competition tour as they build on their early 2018 form.
Marschall won the men’s pole vault competition in Mannheim after clearing 5.70m for victory where he finished ahead of Germany’s Karsten Dilla and Torben Laidig – who both managed 5.60m.
Having cleared 5.70m at his first attempt, Marschall had three looks at 5.81m which would have represented a new personal best had he cleared.
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Nina Kennedy found the going slightly tougher on her first competitive outing since the Gold Coast Games.
The 21 year-old cleared 4.30m for fourth place in a competition dominated by New Zealand athlete Eliza McCartney – who set a new personal best and established herself as the fourth highest female pole vaulter of all-time with a clearance at 4.92m.
Kennedy – like the rest of the field – couldn’t negotiate a height beyond 4.30m, meaning McCartney had the win in the bag with her first successful jump at 4.50m. She cleared again at 4.86m, then once more at her new mark of 4.92m, before exiting competition at the rarefied air of 5.00m following three unsuccessful attempts.
The Mannheim competition also hosted a Junior Gala as a warm-up event for next month’s U20 World Championships in Finland.
Young Western Australian javelin thrower Lara Ilievski will debut at those championships and she took third place in Mannheim with a best throw of 49.38m.
Emerging pole vaulter Lauren Hyde-Cooling was 10thin the women’s junior event, with a best clearance of 3.75m.
WA will also be represented in Finland by race-walker Declan Tingay and 4x400m relay runner Adam Kopp.