Pole vaulter Nina Kennedy will carry the Australian flag into the Glasgow Commonwealth Games opening ceremony on Thursday night, leading a team of 255 athletes as the Games get under way.
The ceremony is at Glasgow's Hydro arena, the first Commonwealth Games opening in the event's 96-year history to be held entirely indoors. Glasgow took on a reduced program of 10 sports across seven venues, with 215 gold medals on offer and about 3,000 athletes from 74 teams. Competition starts on Friday, with 14 golds decided on day one across gymnastics, athletics and swimming.
Kennedy is at her third Commonwealth Games and defends the pole vault title she won at Birmingham in 2022. She won Olympic gold in Paris in 2024 and the world title in Budapest in 2023, and she holds the Australian record at 4.95 metres. A run of injuries had made the road back to this point a long one.
“I am so proud to follow in the footsteps of so many great Australians who have carried the flag before me," Kennedy said. "This is my third Games, and I'm lucky enough to be defending my title." She added that after her injury troubles, "to be trusted with this now means more than I can really put into words.”
Para swimmer Tim Hodge will carry the King's Baton into the arena, a role introduced for Glasgow. "It's the first time that I'll march too, I'm usually competing first day," Hodge said. "I can't wait to feel the excitement." Chef de Mission Petria Thomas said the pair were "both so deserving, and they provide real leadership within their sports and more broadly across the team."
Of the 255 Australians across the 10 sports, 150 are at their first Commonwealth Games. The team is split 138 women and 117 men.
Kennedy will not be among the first out. The pole vault comes later in the athletics program, and the Games run through to 2 August. The medals start on Friday in the pool, on the track and in the gym.
