Olympic Games Track & Field History: Men’s Pole Vault Final, 1896-2012

The pole vault was one of the 12 original track and field events introduced in the inaugural Olympics in 1896. Athletes representing Australia, the Independent States, France, the German Democratic Republic, Poland, the Soviet Union, and the United States. won the event. Americans have won the Olympic pole vault the last 19 times, the most by any nation. After a bronze medal in 1948, Bob Richards (United States) won the event twice in 1952 and 1956, most wins by one performer. Other gold medalists who have added medals include Bob Seagren (United States) gold in 1968 and silver in 1972; Wolfgang Nordwig (German Democratic Republic) gold 1972 and bronze 1968; and Tadeusz Slusarski (Poland) with gold in 1976 and silver in 1980.

Seven (7) athletes won more than 1 medal in the event. Bob Richards (United States) leads the medal count with 3 (gold, 1 bronze). , followed by Bruno Soderstrom (Sweden) with 3 (2 silver, 1 bronze), Bob Seagren (United States) with 2 (1 gold, 1 silver), Tadeuszwz Slusarki (Poland) with 2 (1 gold, 1 silver), Wolfgang. Nordwig (German Democratic Republic) with 2 (gold, 1 bronze), Shuhei Nishida (Japan) with 2 silver, and Ed Glover (United States) with bronze medals.

Twenty (20) nations/parties have won medals in the Olympic vault final. He leads the medal count with 44 (19 gold, 13 silver, 12 bronze); followed by Germany with 5 (2 silver, 3 bronze), France with 4 gold, the Soviet Union with 4 (1 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze), Poland with 3 (2 gold, 1 silver medal), Finland with 3 (2. silver, 1 bronze), Japan with 3 (2 silver, 1 bronze), Russia with 3 (2 silver, 1 bronze), Sweden with 3 (1 silver, 2 bronze), Greece with 3 bronze, Republic with 3 bronze. 2 (gold, 1 silver), the German Republic with 2 (1 gold, 1 bronze), Australia with 1 gold, Denmark with 1 silver, the Federal Republic of Germany with 1 silver, Canada with 1 bronze, Spain with 1 bronze; Italy with 1 bronze, Norway with 1 bronze, and Ukraine with 1 bronze.

Thirty-two (32) nations scored points by placing in the domes of the final Olympic poles. The United leads the scoring with 442.5 points, followed by France (83), Germany (65), Soviet Union (49), Finland (45), Sweden (45), Russia (43), Greece (39.5), Poland (38), Japan (36), Canada (20), Independent States (18); Australia (17), Federal Republic of Germany (17), Denmark (16), German Republic (16), Denmark (16), Norway (13), Hungary (10), Italy (7), Spain (6). , Ukraine (6), Kazakhstan (5), Puerto Rico (5), Great Britain (4), Czechoslovakia (4), Belarus (3), Brazil (3), Belgium (2), South Africa (2), Switzerland (2), Israel (2), Czech Republic (1).

(Points for Place: 1st = 10 points; 2nd = 8 points; 3rd = 6 points; 4th = 5 points; 5th = 4 points; 6th = 3 points; 7th = points;

From 1956 to 1964, both the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) competed as one team. From 1968 to 1988, they competed separately until they merged into one German company in 1992 after German reunification in 1991.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the former Soviet Socialist Republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania competed to become Independent States or “So United States” in 1992.

World and Olympic records are marked by the records immediately preceding the last, marks also set in the qualifying rounds.

1896 Athens