Nina Kennedy to make return after year-long hiatus at Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne in March

Perth pole vaulter Nina Kennedy will make her return to top-flight competition after more than a year on the sidelines at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne in late March.

The Paris Olympics gold medallist had surgery to fix a hamstring injury early last year and recovered, but damaged the same muscle in a different area in the lead up to the world championships and was unable to defend the title she shared with American Katie Moon in 2023.

“Getting so close to the world championships in 2025 and then getting injured two weeks out was really difficult. It was such an anti-climactic way to end a turbulent year,” Kennedy said.

“I have a lot of unfinished business and goals I want to achieve in the next three years, so naturally that’s motivating me. I’m super excited to showcase pole vault to the crowd in Melbourne because it’s a fascinating event and so entertaining to watch.

“I don’t have anything to prove, but my team and I have worked really hard and I’m excited for my performances to reflect that.”

The Perth Track Classic, which will be held on February 14, falls too early in Kennedy’s preparation.

Kennedy last jumped at a high-level competition at a Diamond League meet in Rome in September, 2024, just a month after she became the first Australian woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event.

Kennedy will compete against up-and-coming 20-year-old American twins Amanda and Hana Moll, who compete for the University of Washington in the NCAA, and shared sixth place in last year’s world titles, won by Moon.

Amanda Moll matched Kennedy’s 4.91m career-best last year in Indianapolis, which elevates her into the top 10 women’s vaults in history.

“I’m so excited for the opportunity to compete in Australia, especially knowing it’s where the 2032 Olympics will be held. Nina is an incredible competitor, so I know the competition will be exciting, and I can’t wait!,” Amanda said.

Her sister won the world athletics U20 championships gold in 2022.

“Getting the chance to jump against pros like Nina is always special and raises the level of competition in the best way. I’m really excited to travel to Australia for the first time,” Hana Moll said.

Kennedy will use the event as her launching pad for a defence of her Commonwealth Games gold medal, to be held in July and August in Glasgow, Scotland.

“I’m excited for them to come to Australia. They are great young talents and I wish more elite athletes could come to our country to compete,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy, 28, who set her personal best in 2023 in Zurich, told STM magazine last year she wanted to compete at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 and Brisbane was a “maybe, maybe not.”

“Katie (Moon) is 34 right now, and she’s still winning. So look, who knows? Seven years is such a long time away. My sights are set on LA and we’ll see what happens after that.”

The 2026 Maurie Plant Meet will be held on March 28 as the first of 12 World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meets for 2026, sitting just under the Diamond League in status.

*The Perth Track Classic will be televised on 7plus.

The Glasgow Commonwealth Games will be televised on Channel 7 from July 23 to August 2.