Men's pole vault at the Games of the XI Olympiad | ||||||||||
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![]() Earle Meadows and Sueo Oe | ||||||||||
Venue | Olympiastadion: Berlin, Germany | |||||||||
Dates | August 5 | |||||||||
Competitors | 30 from 21 nations | |||||||||
Winning height | 4.35 OR | |||||||||
Medalists | ||||||||||
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Athletics at the 1936 Summer Olympics | ||
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Track events | ||
100 m | men | women |
200 m | men | |
400 m | men | |
800 m | men | |
1500 m | men | |
5000 m | men | |
10,000 m | men | |
80 m hurdles | women | |
110 m hurdles | men | |
400 m hurdles | men | |
3000 m steeple | men | |
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Road events | ||
Marathon | men | |
50 km walk | men | |
Field events | ||
Long jump | men | |
Triple jump | men | |
High jump | men | women |
Pole vault | men | |
Shot put | men | |
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Combined events | ||
Decathlon | men | |
The men's pole vault event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1936 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on August 5, 1936. Thirty athletes from 21 nations competed. [1] The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The final was won by Earle Meadows of the United States. [2] It was the nation's tenth consecutive victory in the men's pole vault.
A three-way tie for second resulted in a jump-off; after American Bill Sefton was eliminated (ending the United States' streak of two or more medals in every pole vault), two Japanese jumpers were left. They refused to compete further, so Japanese officials chose, by fiat, Shuhei Nishida as the silver medalist and Sueo Oe the bronze medalist. After the Games, Nishida and Oe "took their medals, cut them apart, and combined them into a half-silver, half-bronze medal, the only two of their type ever created." [1] In any case, Nishida became the first man to win multiple pole vault medals, as he had previously taken silver in 1932. (The United States had won 25 medals in the event in 10 Games, all by different men.)
Three men tied for second in clearing 4.25 metres: Bill Sefton of the United States and Sueo Ōe and Shuhei Nishida of Japan. The rules at the time used a jump-off rather than countback to break ties. The jump-off started at 4.15 metres. Sefton was unable to clear that height again, while Ōe and Nishida were. Sefton was thus eliminated, at fourth place.
The two Japanese vaulters then refused to further participate in the tie-breaker. The Japanese team was told to make its own decision about who should claim second place and who third. After lengthy discussion, it was agreed that Nishida, who had vaulted 4.25 at his first attempt, should take precedence over Oe, who had needed two attempts at that height (this method would become standard tie-breaking procedure). Upon returning to Japan, they cut their medals in half and fused them to one another so each athlete ended up with a half-silver, half-bronze medal. They became known as “The Medals of Friendship”. [3]
This was the 10th appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. The returning vaulters from the 1932 games were silver medalist Shuhei Nishida of Japan and fourth-place finisher Bill Graber of the United States. The American team was favored, with all three (Graber, Bill Sefton, and Earle Meadows) considered approximately equal. All had beaten 1936 AAU champion and world record holder George Varoff in the U.S. trials. [1]
Chile, the Republic of China, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, and Yugoslavia made their first appearance in the event. The United States made its 10th appearance, the only nation to have competed at every Olympic men's pole vault to that point.
The competition returned to the two-round format introduced in 1912 (after a one-Games direct final due to scarcity of competitors in 1932), with results cleared between rounds. The official report describes it as a three-round competition, but the "semifinal" and "final" were in effect a single round as results carried forward between them. Vaulters received three attempts at each height.
In the qualifying round, the bar was set at heights including 3.50 metres, 3.70 metres, and 3.80 metres. All vaulters clearing 3.80 metres advanced to the final.
In the final, the bar was set at heights including 3.40 metres, 3.60 metres, 3.80 metres, 4.00 metres, 4.15 metres, 4.25 metres, 4.35 metres, and 4.45 metres. [1] [4]
These were the standing world and Olympic records (in metres) prior to the 1936 Summer Olympics. Varoff's world record had not yet been ratified; Keith Brown's 4.39 metres was still official at the time.
World record | ![]() | 4.43 | Princeton, United States | 4 July 1936 |
Olympic record | ![]() | 4.315 | Los Angeles, United States | 3 August 1932 |
Earle Meadows set a new Olympic record by clearing 4.35 metres.
The "semifinal" was in effect just the first half of the final.
Date | Time | Round |
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Wednesday, 5 August 1936 | 10:30 16:00 19:00 | Qualifying Semifinal Final |
Key
Only the 3.80 metres jump sequences for those who advanced are available.
Rank | Athlete | Nation | 3.80 | Height | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Earle Meadows | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q |
Shuhei Nishida | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q | |
Sueo Ōe | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q | |
Bill Graber | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q | |
Kiyoshi Adachi | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q | |
Syl Apps | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q | |
Péter Bácsalmási | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q | |
Danilo Innocenti | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q | |
Jan Korejs | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q | |
Bo Ljungberg | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q | |
Alfred Proksch | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q | |
Wilhelm Schneider | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q | |
Viktor Zsuffka | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q | |
Andries du Plessis | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q | |
Ernst Larsen | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q | |
Julius Müller | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q | |
Miroslav Klásek | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q | |
Pierre Ramadier | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q | |
Siegfried Schulz | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q | |
Adolfo Schlegel | ![]() | o | 3.80 | Q | |
Josef Haunzwickel | ![]() | xo | 3.80 | Q | |
Dick Webster | ![]() | xo | 3.80 | Q | |
André Crépin | ![]() | xxo | 3.80 | Q | |
Fu Baolu | ![]() | xxo | 3.80 | Q | |
Bill Sefton | ![]() | xxo | 3.80 | Q | |
26 | Aulis Reinikka | ![]() | xxx | 3.70 | |
Eevald Äärma | ![]() | xxx | 3.70 | ||
Jaša Bakov | ![]() | xxx | 3.70 | ||
29 | Guillermo Chirichigno | ![]() | — | 3.50 | |
Rigoberto Pérez | ![]() | — | 3.50 |
The men's pole vault was one of four men's jumping events on the Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics program in Tokyo. Qualification was held on 15 October 1964, with the final on 17 October. 32 athletes from 20 nations entered, with 2 not starting in the qualification round. The final lasted over seven hours, to date the longest competition in history. All finalists qualified at 4.60, however in the final five were unable to achieve the height again.
Shuhei Nishida was a Japanese Olympic athlete who competed mainly in the pole vault.
Sueo Ōe was a Japanese athlete who competed mainly in the pole vault. He won a bronze medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin, Germany, tying with his teammate Shuhei Nishida. When the two declined to compete against each other to decide a winner, Nishida was awarded the silver after a decision of the Japanese team, on the basis that Nishida had cleared the height in fewer attempts. On their return to Japan, Nishida and Ōe had their Olympic medals cut in half, and had a jeweler splice together two new medals, half in bronze and half in silver.
The men's pole vault was a track and field athletics event held as part of the Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics programme. It was the fifth appearance of the event, which is one of 12 to have been held at every Summer Olympics. The competition was held on Wednesday, July 10, 1912, and on Thursday, July 11, 1912. Twenty-five pole vaulters from eleven nations competed. NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes. It was the second straight Games in which more than 3 medals were awarded in the event. The event was won by Harry Babcock of the United States, the nation's fifth consecutive victory in the event. Fellow Americans Frank Nelson and Marc Wright tied for second and were both awarded silver; normally, this would have constituted a medal sweep. However, bronze medals were awarded to the three men tied for fourth place. This put both Canada and Sweden on the podium for the second consecutive Games and awarded the United States a total of four medals in the 1912 pole vault.
The men's pole vault was an event at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Nineteen athletes from 12 nations competed. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The final was held on the third day of the track and field competition, on Monday November 26, 1956. The event was won by Bob Richards of the United States, the nation's 13th consecutive victory in the event. Richards was the first man to successfully defend Olympic gold in the pole vault; he was also the first man to win three total medals in the event. For the second straight Games, the American team went 1–2, this time with Bob Gutowski taking silver. Georgios Roubanis's bronze was Greece's first pole vault medal since 1896, and Greece's first Olympic medal overall since 1920.
The men's pole vault was an event at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. Twenty-eight athletes from 18 nations competed. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The final was held on Tuesday July 22, 1952. The event was won by Bob Richards of the United States, the nation's 12th consecutive victory in the men's pole vault. Another American, Don Laz, took silver. Ragnar Lundberg's bronze was Sweden's first medal in the event since 1912.
The men's pole vault event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1920 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on Wednesday, August 18, 1920, and on Friday, August 20, 1920. 16 pole vaulters from seven nations competed. No nation had more than 4 jumpers, suggesting the limit had been reduced from the 12 maximum in force in 1908 and 1912. The event was won by Frank Foss of the United States, the nation's sixth consecutive victory in the men's pole vault. Henry Petersen's silver was Denmark's first medal in the event and the first time a non-American had done better than bronze in the pole vault. Edwin Myers's bronze continued the American streak of winning at least two medals in each pole vault, however.
The men's pole vault event at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Soviet Union had an entry list of 19 competitors from 10 nations. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The final was held on Wednesday July 30, 1980. The top twelve and ties and all those clearing 5.40 metres advanced to the final. The event was won by Władysław Kozakiewicz of Poland, the nation's second consecutive victory in the men's pole vault. His countryman Tadeusz Ślusarski, who had won the event four years earlier, became the fifth man to earn two medals in the event when he finished in a tie for silver. The other silver went to Konstantin Volkov and was the Soviet Union's first pole vault medal.
The men's pole vault event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1924 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on Wednesday, July 9, 1924, on Thursday, July 10, 1924. Twenty pole vaulters from 13 nations competed. The maximum number of athletes per nation was 4. The event was won by Lee Barnes of the United States, the nation's seventh consecutive victory in the men's pole vault. Americans Glen Graham (silver) and James Brooker (bronze) completed the sweep, the second time the United States had done so—though the Americans had taken two golds and a bronze in 1908 and a gold, two silvers, and a bronze in 1912.
The men's pole vault event at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program was held at the Olympic Stadium on Wednesday, 27 September, and Friday, 29 September. Thirty-six athletes from 22 nations competed. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by Nick Hysong of the United States, the nation's first victory in the event since its 16-Games streak ended. The American team also took silver, as Lawrence Johnson finished second. Russia's Maksim Tarasov became the seventh man to win multiple pole vault medals, and the second to do so under two different flags, adding a bronze to his 1992 gold.
The men's pole vault event at the 1928 Olympic Games took place on August 1. Twenty athletes from thirteen nations competed. The maximum number of athletes per nation was four. The event was won by Sabin Carr of the United States, for the nation's eighth consecutive victory in the men's pole vault. Americans William Droegemuller and Charles McGinnis won silver and bronze respectively, giving Team USA their second consecutive and third overall medal sweep in the Olympic pole vault event.
The men's pole vault event at the 1932 Olympic Games took place August 3. Eight athletes from four nations competed. The 1930 Olympic Congress in Berlin had reduced the limit from 4 athletes per NOC to 3 athletes. The event was won by Bill Miller of the United States, the nation's ninth consecutive victory in the men's pole vault. Japan won its first pole vault medal, with Shuhei Nishida's silver. George Jefferson won bronze, extending the American streak of two or more medals in each pole vault to nine as well.
The men's pole vault event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1948 Summer Olympics. Nineteen athletes from 10 nations competed. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The competition was held on July 31 and August 2. During the final, a rainstorm came in during the jumps at 4.10. All the jumpers at 4.20 and higher had to deal with wet conditions on the runway and with their poles. The final was won by American Guinn Smith. Erkki Kataja had held the lead with a perfect set of jumps until Smith's last attempt clearance of 4.30. Smith's win was the United States' 11th consecutive victory in the men's pole vault. Kataja's silver was Finland's first medal in the event.
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The men's pole vault was one of four men's jumping events on the athletics program at the 1968 Summer Olympics. The competition had two rounds, qualifying and a final, which were held on 14 and 16 October respectively at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario in Mexico City. Twenty-three athletes from 15 nations competed. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by Bob Seagren of the United States, the nation's 16th consecutive victory in the men's pole vault. Claus Schiprowski of West Germany took silver, while Wolfgang Nordwig of East Germany took bronze—the first medals for each of those nations as separate teams, though two West German vaulters had earned silver and bronze for the United Team of Germany in 1964.
William Healy Sefton was an American pole vaulter. Sefton broke the pole vault world record several times in 1937 and placed fourth in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
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At the 1930 Far Eastern Championship Games, the athletics events were held in Tokyo, Japan in May. A total of 19 men's athletics events were contested at the competition.
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