Marschall eyeing elite pole vault club
Australian pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall is on the cusp of joining one of his sport's most elite clubs and Budapest could set the scene for his final audition.
Pole vault’s six-metre society is reserved for an exclusive echelon of the elite. Only 188 men in history have shattered the barrier in the blue riband event, while only 28 have soared to the six.
Clearing six metres in Budapest may not be Australian hope Marschall’s priority, but its possibility provides context to his talents. Three Australians already have a seat in the 28-man six-metre society, led by national outdoor record holder Dmitri Markov (6.05m), Olympic champion Steven Hooker (6.00m/6.06m indoors), and Marschall’s coach, Paul Burgess (6.00m).
Marschall could be next. The 26-year-old raised his outdoor personal best from 5.82m to 5.95m between March and July.
“It’s been a massive season," he said. "I came home from the World Championships and Commonwealth Games last year and I just felt sick of being a 5.80m guy, jumping it once or twice a year. We sat down and identified speed as my biggest weakness, and it’s all transferred to the runway. It means I can relax and get through on bigger poles."
In technical terms, Marschall has sharpened his runway speeds with the help of a refined gym program and running mechanics, but the back-to-back Commonwealth champion is just as quick to concede that he is far from “fast”. Clearing 5.85m in Brisbane, 5.90m in Ostrava and 5.95m in Sotteville, the world number five has landed in Budapest with a renewed air of confidence.
“To be honest, my main focus is getting 5.90m as clean as possible," he said. "That’s the bar that separates the top five. If you jump it on your first attempt, you could be in the medals, but if you jump it on the third – you might not be top five this year.
“I would have to pull something out of the hat to clear six metres at a major, but you never know. I’ve got all the poles with me just in case its magical conditions and everything lines up.”
A staple on the global vaulting scene for a number of years, Marschall is acutely aware that events don’t come less predictable than his, with not many athletes more in tune than the Australian who knows his competitors on and off the track – including world record holder Armand Duplantis.
“I beat him the other day, so some could say it is open," Marschall said. "But nah, he’s definitely not going to let that happen again. I do think the rest of the medals are open and coming in with a 5.95m, I feel like I can mix it with the big dogs this year."
The Olympic finalist is not fazed by his turbulent record at major championships, channelling what he describes as the right balance of nervous energy and excitement to remain relaxed and execute the result he knows he is capable of.
“I have taken all those experiences and I’m using them to fuel the fire for this year. Obviously in Tokyo I made the final and then no-heighted, and last year at the World Championships I didn’t make the final, but then came away with gold at the Commonwealth Games again,” Marschall said.
“I feel like all those setbacks have just allowed me to focus and perfect my craft, and move on to this year where I can hopefully nail it.”
The South Australian operates with a tight-knit group headed by Paul Burgess, training alongside World Championships bronze medallist Nina Kennedy.
“Budge [Burgess] hasn’t missed any of my competitions this year. We have been bouncing off one another and making all the right calls, using all the experiences we have learned over the years. Having a guy who has jumped six metres in my corner is sick, but there is a little bit of a rivalry between us,” Marschall said.
“Nina is someone that I can look up to in terms of professionalism. She does all the little things so good and I just want to keep up. I get energy off her and will go watch her compete a few days before me. Hopefully she gets the win and that will motivate me.”
