A vertical Olympic field event in which athletes use a flexible fibre pole to vault over a crossbar set at extreme heights.
Origin and rules
Vaulting with a pole appeared in Greek and Celtic festivals, but the modern athletics event took shape in 19th-century Germany and Britain. Fibreglass and carbon-fibre poles, introduced in the 1960s, transformed the heights vaulters could reach.
How it plays
Athletes sprint down a runway, plant the pole in a metal box, and use the pole’s flex to launch themselves over a bar before releasing the pole and landing on a thick mat. Each height allows three attempts.
Competition
The World Athletics Championships and the Olympic Games are the marquee events. Sergey Bubka set 35 world records in the 1980s and 1990s. Armand Duplantis of Sweden has redefined the discipline, repeatedly breaking the world record beyond 6.20 metres.
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Pole Vault starts with P and ends with T. Browse other sports along the same letter.
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