Olympic pole vault champion Nina Kennedy has produced her most significant result since the Paris Games with victory on return to Diamond League competition.
The 29-year-old Australian, who returned to action in February after 18 months out injured, was the only woman to clear 4.80m in Rabat, Morocco.
It was Kennedy's third win from as many competitions in her comeback, following victories at the Maurie Plant Meet in March and the national championships in April.
Back like she never left 🫡
— Australian Athletics (@AustralianAths) May 31, 2026
A 4.80m first attempt clearance and the win for Nina Kennedy at the Rabat Diamond League.
Retired on top and looking ahead to Rome on Thursday 👀#AthleticsNation pic.twitter.com/BP4xwZoeJD
"I think the girls weren't expecting me to come out and perform the way I did, but I've been training really hard, so I'm really happy with how I went tonight," Kennedy said.
After claiming gold in Paris, Kennedy endured a torrid battle with soft-tissue injuries and underwent surgery last year.
She pushed hard to get to the world championships in September, but broke down again.
Kennedy said her time on the sidelines had given her a new appreciation for the sport and a sense of gratitude on return.
"Sometimes travelling back and forth to Europe (for) months on end can get really tiring, so it was actually kind of nice to have a year at home," Kennedy said.
"But watching the world championships at home - and the girls jumped really well - it was quite tough, but that made me so hungry.
"I haven't flown in a while, so I had to re-learn all of that and my competition routine, but I'm really glad I'm back."
Kennedy will compete in the Rome Diamond League next week before returning to Perth to step up preparations for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Fellow Australian Eleanor Patterson also had a Rabat Diamond League podium, finishing second in the high jump with a clearance of 1.94m.
The result came despite a busy travel schedule, in which Patterson competed in China and flew home to Australia for two days to pick up a visa, before heading to Morocco.
Patterson was beaten by Ukrainian Olympic champion and world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who was the only woman to clear 1.97m.
In the 800m, Sarah Billings finished seventh with a personal best time of one 57.61 seconds.
National record holder Jessica Hull is the only Australian woman to run faster in the 800m.
Torrie Lewis (11.20) was sixth in the 100m, in which Tina Clayton (10.85) led a Jamaican 1-2-3 ahead of Lavanya Williams and Jonielle Smith.
Lewis backed up in the 200m, finishing sixth in 22.78.
In the men's 200m, two-time Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek sped ahead of Paris Games champion Letsile Tebogo to secure a commanding victory.
American Bednarek clocked 19.69, gaining a sizeable lead in the first half of the race to win from Tebogo by 0.27.
