BIOGRAPHY
In early 2022 Kurtis vaulted higher than 5.70m in three competitions in three weeks in Europe, topped by a best of 5.76m when placing second in Paris. He
In early 2022 Kurtis Marschall carried good leadup form into the World Indoors, placing seventh with a 5.75m clearance. Back home in Australia he won his fourth Australian title and was selected for the world championships and Commonwealth Games. In Eugene he struggled in the qualifying round, clearing his opening height of 5.50m on his third attempt and missing the next height of 5.65m and consequently, a place in the final. But two weeks later at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, he rebounded with a strong win clearing 5.70m and defending his title from the Gold Coast.
Kurtis’ 2023 campaign has taken him to new levels in his event. Indoors in Europe, he hit 5.80m plus in all five competitions, including a PB 5.91m. Upon return to Australia, he cleared an outdoor PB of 5.85m and took his fifth National title with a 5.80m clearance. In Europe there were three highlights, two outdoor PB, 5.90m, then 5.95m and a third place at the Monaco Diamond league.
He lines up at the world championships in Budapest on his 9th Australian senior team.
+ + + + +
As an 11-year-old in 2008, Kurtis Marschall was inspired by Steve Hooker's gold medal heroics at the Olympic Games in Beijing. He then at 12, attended a ‘come-and-try-day’ in Adelaide where he jumped just two metres, but it was the beginning of his journey in athletics.
Marschall started training with Alan Launder in Adelaide and by 16 Kurtis had already vaulted over five metres. Marschall was devastated when in 2014 Launder tragically passed away. Kym Simons, who had also been assisting Marschall then coached him for the next few years. That same year, Marschall made his international debut at the World U20 Championships.
He continued to improve in 2015, then in 2016 in Germany ahead of his second World U20 Championships appearance, he cleared an extortionary 5.70m, locking up Olympic qualification. It was also the highest vault by a junior in the world for three years.
At the World U20s he won silver and three weeks later in Rio, missed qualifying for the Olympic pole vault final on countback. Aged 19, he was the youngest in the field by three years.
In 2017 he was 11th in the final at the world championships, then a year later at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games he claimed gold for Australia. He was now a 5.86m vaulter, regularly top-5 in the Diamond Leagues and entrenched amongst the elite.
In late 2018 his good run of no injuries stopped when his pole plant went wrong at the Brussels Diamond League, resulting in him landing on the base of the uprights. He fractured his heel bones (calcaneus) on both legs. He rushed back into competition in early 2019, but coming back from the injury too soon led to a niggling pain in his shoulder, which turned out to be a tear in the tendon of his rotator cuff. He was using parts of his back too much, loading it with acute pressure, and that caused him to get a stress fracture in the L5 disc of his spine.
After a period of rehabilitation seven months later he returned and in his first competition of 2020, he cleared 5.80m, but then COVID closed down the season. Marschall took time to nurture his back, his shoulder and his feet.
He returned to competition over the summer of 2020/21, clearing a best of 5.80m ahead of selection in his second Olympic team. Although he no heighted at nationals, missing automatic nomination to the national team, he was still selected in April for his second Olympic team.
A 5.80m and a couple of 5.75m prior to departing for Tokyo continued the summer form. But in Tokyo there was a hiccup when he had to isolate from the Australian team, outside of the village after a COVID scare. He had been at the same training venue as American pole vaulter Sam Kendricks, who would later test positive for COVID.
"I gave him a handshake. He wasn't wearing a mask. I was just stoked to see him. I was wearing a mask, we embraced, and it turns out the bloody idiot had COVID," said Kurtis.
"There was an hour where I was absolutely stressing, the Games could have been over if I wasn't vaccinated, and I wasn't wearing a mask. Luckily, I was and luckily protocols have supported me in the Games."
All clear he took his position in the qualifying rounds.
A first attempt clearance at 5.50m was followed shortly thereafter by an anxious third attempt clearance at 5.65m, before cementing his spot among the top-12 with a first attempt clearance at 5.75m.
"The third attempt at 5.65m was not planned. I knew what I had to do when I got there, saw the video, my coaches helped me. I can jump it pretty much blindfolded, but then had to back up and clear 5.75m on my first attempt to get into the final.”
But in the final things didn’t go to plan as Kurtis no heighted at 5.55m.
"It's as simple as me not executing my queues; I used the same pole, the same stands, the same everything from the qualifying round. I came down on the bar the first time, brought the stands in, the same thing happened again and then it all happened again. Three unforgivable mistakes that I'll learn a lot from," Kurtis said.
"No one prepares you for a no-height at the Olympics. We will have to sit down and reassess the whole season, the whole situation and use this as a genuine learning curve.”
Post Games, he cleared an outdoor PB height of 5.82m in Zagreb.
@ 1 Jul 2022 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au
World Athletics Profile https://worldathletics.org/athletes/australia/kurtis-marschall-14565327
|
