Pole vaulting is arguably the most dramatic and spectacular of the events in track and field. Using long flexible poles for assistance, athletes attempt to leap over a horizontal bar suspended at the end of a runway. Included in the first modern Olympic games in 1896, the technological advancements in vaulting-pole manufacture have allowed athletes to clear heights in excess of 6 meters, or 19.68 feet. Pole vaulters must possess speed, agility and strength and also have a high degree of technical skill and bravery to succeed in this demanding, and sometimes dangerous, event.
History
Wooden poles have long been used in many countries as a means to clearing obstacles. Residents of the Fens in the north of England used poles to leap from bank to bank across canals and rivers in the absence of bridges, and the Dutch did likewise. The Dutch still hold distance vaulting competitions to honor this age-old tradition. Vaulting for height became popular in the mid-1800s, with the first recorded competition taking place during a gymnastics event in Germany.
Modern Competition
In modern competition, pole vaulters participate in competitions where the height of the bar is raised round by round, as in the other vertical jumping event: the high jump. Athletes can elect to jump or pass throughout the duration of the competition and take as many jumps as they like. Athletes are only allowed three failures, so their last successful clearance is their scoring height. In the event of a draw, number of failures and next best cleared height are also taken into consideration. Some events are settled with a jump-off, or "sudden death," if there is no other way to separate athletes.
Elements of a Pole Vault -- The Approach and Plant
A pole vault begins with the athlete holding the pole, made of fiberglass, vertically with both hands before sprinting along the runway and gradually lowering the pole. The end of the pole is driven into the box---a depression which stops the forward momentum of the pole. The athlete continues to run in as hard as possible to get as much bend in the pole as he can. This is the point at which the pole can break and injury may occur as a result of flying fiberglass shards.
Elements of a Pole Vault -- The Take Off and Swing
At this point, forward momentum is translated into upward thrust. With the pole bent, the athlete jumps forward, leans back and places all of her weight on the pole to fully maximize the energy stored within the pole. As the pole begins to extend, the athlete must swing up with the pole and launch into the air.
Elements of a Pole Vault -- The Extension, Turn and Flyaway
To clear the bar, the athlete performs a powerful arm pull, extends her legs and tries to get her feet as high as possible. As her feet approach the bar, the athlete executes a turn so that she the passes over the bar face-down. Finally, when clear of the bar, the athlete lets go of the pole and falls down onto the crash mat. If the horizontal bar is dislodged, then the vault is deemed to be a foul but the athlete is permitted to touch the bar, and so long as the bar does not fall, the clearance counts.
References
- "Winning Jumps and Pole Vault"; Ed Jacoby; 2008
- "High-Performance Training for Track and Field"; William J. Bowerman and William H. Freeman; 1990
- "Above and Beyond: Tim Mack, the Pole Vault, and the Quest for Olympic Gold"; Bill Livingston; 2008
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