Nina Kennedy's former pole vault coach, Paul Burgess, joins rival Katie Moon's team

Whistleblower coach and triple Olympian Paul Burgess has joined the coaching team of American Katie Moon, the main rival of his former athlete and Olympic champion Nina Kennedy.

Burgess joined Moon's team ahead of the Diamond League event in Doha and claimed he had been forced to look overseas for coaching opportunities after being banned from the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) facilities after his resignation.

"I'm of the understanding that I was banned immediately when I resigned in April 2024," Burgess told the ABC.

"I was never told this personally, but I was told they had security at WAIS for several weeks after I resigned in case I showed up.

"I was also told by Australian Athletics as that was a big issue when I was needing to coach Kurtis and Nina towards Olympics."

Nina Kennedy and Kurtis Marschall train at the WA Athletics Stadium in Perth in the lead-up to last year's Olympics. (ABC News: Kenith Png)

Burgess was instrumental in raising allegations against former WAIS pole vault coach Alex Parnov, which were labelled by Australian Athletics (AA) as "totally unacceptable and deeply distressing".

Allegations against Parnov of sexually harassing a succession of vulnerable female athletes in his care were reported by News Corp in December last year.

The Australian reported Burgess first made complaints about Parnov in 2016 and was told the organisation would not go through formal channels for the incident but would instead speak to Parnov off the record.

Parnov was sacked by WAIS in 2019.

Allegations against long-serving pole vault coach Alex Parnov were published by News Corp in December. (ABC News: Kenith Png)

Speaking in response to the allegations in December, WAIS chair Dr Neale Fong, who joined the organisation in 2023, acknowledged Burgess had been "significantly impacted by the behaviour of Mr Parnov and the organisation's failure to respond appropriately at the time".

Kennedy was among those allegedly targeted by Parnov, with Fong describing her as a "much loved, respected and valued member of the WAIS family".

WAIS said in a statement it does not make public comment on individual employment matters, including those related to Burgess's resignation from WAIS in April 2024.

“WAIS's primary responsibility is the wellbeing and safety, including the psychological safety, of our staff and athletes," it said.

"WAIS does not support a 'win at all cost' mentality, and are actively building a culture that is based on the Well Well principles that all sporting organisations in Australia have agreed to."

Moon vs Kennedy

Nina Kennedy (left) and Katie Moon (right) regularly compete for pole vault medals on the biggest stage. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)

The move of Burgess to Moon’s camp is the latest chapter in her rivalry with Kennedy.

The pair are forever linked after mutually agreeing to share a pole vault gold medal at the 2023 world championships before standing on the podium together in Paris a year later – Kennedy with the gold and Moon with the silver.

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"I’ve been friends with Katie’s main coach for years as he was a competitor of mine," three-time Olympian Burgess said.

"I’m appreciative of the opportunity to work with such an amazing athlete, and for any opportunity to work as a coach.

"I would also like to say that I am on good terms with Nina, and wish her all the best. I’m sure she understands that I have to take my opportunities."

Kennedy said she understood the decision of Burgess, whose LinkedIn profile says he has been a freelance pole vault coach since April 2024, months before she won gold at the Paris Olympics.

"Paul and I achieved a lot together," Kennedy told the ABC.

"It's an exciting opportunity for him. I wish him and Katie all the best."

Kennedy gave her blessing for her former coach to go work with her rival, American Katie Moon. (Getty Images: Daniela Porcelli/Eurasia Sport Images)

Burgess still coaches Olympian Kurtis Marschall in Perth, but said his inability to access the WAIS facility had made it harder to do his job.

"It makes things hard as far as coaching Kurtis as I don’t get to go to any sessions at the facility," he said.

"WAIS have also said to Kurtis they won’t pay for track bookings if Kurtis trains with me.

"If the weather is bad and Kurt needs to jump in the WAIS facility, I cannot go."

Burgess said Australian Athletics was covering the cost of hiring track time for Marschall.

"Australian Athletics supports its athletes in different ways," the national governing body said in a statement.

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"And with Kurtis Marschall on track as a true medal contender at this year’s World Athletics Championships, we are supporting him in his pursuits while he is at home in Perth and while he is abroad for his international campaign."

The organisation also said it provided financial support for Burgess.

"We can confirm that while Paul is not working as a system-employed coach in Australia, he receives financial support as Kurtis's coach, in a similar manner to other non-employed personal coaches of podium level athletes," AA said.

WAIS said it continued to support Kennedy and Marschall.

"Any suggestion that these athletes are receiving a lower standard of support are factually and fundamentally incorrect," it said.

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