On June 6, 1986, Juergen Schult set the world discus record at a meet in East Germany, reaching 74.08 meters. Nearly three months later, Yuriy Sedykh did the same for the hammer throw, setting the new world record at 86.74 meters.
The current (as of 2017) men's world record is held by Jan Železný at 98.48 m (1996); Barbora Špotáková holds the women's world record at 72.28 m (2008). Of the 69 Olympic medals that have been awarded in the men's javelin, 32 have gone to competitors from Norway, Sweden or Finland.
The price for a pole vault pole varies depending on what the athlete needs and the supplier of the pole. Realistically, the price for an entry-level pole will cost approximately $259 to $561.
Elite vaulters are generally tall. Taller athletes have an advantage in the pole vault, especially at the pole strike. A taller athlete usually has a higher reach, and an athlete with a higher reach can strike the pole at a higher angle than a shorter athlete with a lower reach.
If the pole breaks during the execution of a vault, it is considered an equipment failure and is ruled a non-jump, neither a make nor a miss. Other types of equipment failure include the standards slipping down or the wind dislodging the bar when no contact was made by the vaulter.
Pole vaulting is extremely difficult, and easily one of the hardest sports in the world. ESPN ranked it as the 16th most difficult sport in the world, factoring requirements of technique, strength, endurance, power, speed, hand-eye coordination, flexibility and a few others.
No person is allowed to touch the vaulting pole, unless it is falling back and away from the crossbar. However, if there is a tailwind which might cause a properly released pole to fall forward, the referee should authorize an official to catch the pole after it has been properly released.
The basic physics of pole vaulting is simple to explain. The pole vaulter must run as fast as he or she can, and then convert the corresponding kinetic energy of the run into maximum height using proper vaulting technique. The faster the vaulter runs, the greater their kinetic energy, and the higher they can vault.
The origins of modern vaulting can be traced back to Germany in the 1850s, when the sport was adopted by a gymnastic association, and in the Lake District region of England, where contests were held with ash or hickory poles with iron spikes in the end. The first recorded use of bamboo poles was in 1857.
A successful vaulter generally has a sprinter's speed and must build that speed while carrying a long pole. Finally, while pole vaulters don't resemble discus throwers or shot putters — vaulters are typically tall and lean — pole vaulters do require strong arms to control, plant and push off from the pole.
There are a couple of reports of a pole vaulter being impaled - though in each case it was when the pole snapped, leaving a jagged end. No-one seems to have done it with a complete pole.
The National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research has come out with a report saying that pole vaulting, with only 25,000 participants nationwide, is more dangerous than any other school sport, including football.
Most dangerous sports with the highest rate of injury
| Sport | Rate of injury |
|---|
| Football | 1.78% |
| Basketball | 0.98% |
| Wrestling | 0.90% |
| Skateboarding | 0.66% |
Of all of track and field's events, the one most vulnerable to the weather is the pole vault. It's one thing to throw the shot put, run the 800 meters or long jump in the rain. Not ideal, but generally not dangerous. That's not true about a rainy pole vault.
Pole VaultA staggering number of things can go wrong, not the least of which is a snapped pole. Overall, rate of direct catastrophic injury from a snapped pole is 2 percent, leading to spinal, pelvic, and head injuries.
If you are considering trying pole vault, you may be wondering what the optimal age to start is. The best age to start pole vaulting is anywhere in the teens. Once you are 13-14, you will have begun to develop the upper body strength and speed necessary for pole vaulting, while also building up muscle memory early on.
When it comes down to it, pole vaulting is just like any other sport. As long as you are doing it the right way and using proper form, it's really no scarier than any other event. “If you learn it properly from the beginning and don't do anything stupid you should be fine,” Woo said.
Are pole vaulters tall or short?
| Athlete (Men) | Height | Pole Vault personal best |
|---|
| Sergey Bubka | 1.83 m | 6.15 m |
| Dmitry Markov | 1.82 m | 6.05 m |
| Athlete (Women) | | |
| Yelena Isinbayeva | 1.74 m | 5.06 m |
Pole vaulters are wary of shipping companies because they have to part with their poles super early and also because of the horror stories of cracked and broken poles. It's not fun being a pole vaulter on the go, no other Olympic athlete has to worry about tools bigger than themselves.
Mondo is currently training at his club in Sweden, the nation he represents in competition. He's aiming for meets in Monaco on Aug. 14, followed by action in Lausanne, Brussels, Berlin and Rome. It's not the Olympics, but it is competition.
