Nina Kennedy to Defend World Title in Tokyo After Long Injury Layoff

Posted : 01 September 2025

Olympic pole vault champion Nina Kennedy is set to defend her world title in Tokyo despite not having competed in any events since her historic gold medal win in Paris last year. The Australian star has been sidelined with a series of hamstring injuries and subsequent surgery, leaving her to enter the September 13–21 championships with limited preparation.

Kennedy, who became the first Australian woman to win Olympic gold in a field event, admitted that her rehabilitation wiped out her entire competitive build-up. She has missed all Diamond League meets and will compete on a wildcard, relying on only six weeks of intense training to reach Tokyo.

“Only training for six weeks, we've pushed my body to the absolute limits just to get here,” Kennedy explained. “It creates niggles elsewhere — in the back, in the quad — so I can't say I have full confidence in my body. But I do have full confidence that the injury is okay.”

The 28-year-old estimated her fitness level at around 80%, acknowledging that she may not be at her peak for Tokyo after compressing four months of preparation into less than two. She admitted that, earlier in her career, she might have skipped the event entirely. However, with only a few years left at the elite level, Kennedy is determined to give Tokyo her all, even considering a potential podium finish.

The journey has been as much mental as physical. Working closely with her sports psychologist, Kennedy has focused on process over outcome, navigating the tension between safeguarding her body and unleashing her competitive drive. “There’s a mongrel in me, I've got this dog in me,” she said. “I have no right to think I can come off surgery and get back on the podium, but that's the challenge we've set. That's what excites me.”

Kennedy noted that a first-attempt clearance above 4.80 metres could be enough for a medal in a post-Olympic year, but she won’t know her limits until competition day. “I haven't stepped foot in an arena since Paris. I'm not sure where I'm at, but I'm embracing the vulnerability,” she added.

Looking ahead, the reigning champion hopes to eventually join the elite group of women to clear the five-metre barrier and potentially challenge Yelena Isinbayeva’s long-standing world record of 5.06m. “I see myself as the best athlete out there. Why not?” Kennedy said, reflecting her relentless ambition and determination.

Nina Kennedy to Defend World Title in Tokyo After Long Injury Layoff

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