The pole vault may be the most exciting
field event in track and field. Of course, this is a matter of opinion, but the
fact is that it is the most dangerous event for the competitor. It has been
reported that the ratio of serious accidents compared to the number of
competitors is higher in pole vault than any other event. Man has always
competed to see who is the fastest or the strongest. In pole vault it is simply
who can go the highest. The athlete tries to gather his kinetic energy from
running and transfer it into a pole to achieve altitude. This is the only event
where the a tool is used in order to aid the athlete. In all other events in
track and field the tools are obstacles or projectiles used to impede the
athletes progress.
This dangerous event did not originally intend for the athlete to compete for
height, but the goal was distance. Originally, the purpose of the pole vault
was to cross the canals and ditches filled with water in Europe. Then people
considered competing, like all men do, to see who is able to go the furthest.
Contests were held and contestants had to vault over a ditch or on to a horse
The period when the pole vaulters vaulted for distance is considered primitive
history for the event. No records were kept and contests were mainly local and
unorganized.
The pole vault did not become part of college athletics until the beginning of
the century. The athletes competed for height, but the competition was held on
grass and the landing too, was on grass. Athletes used their intuition to get
ahead of the competition. Gradually they began to chose lighter poles to enable
them to run faster. The tips were sharpened to ensure a safe sturdy plant ,
(The point where the athlete jumps; making the pole the only contact the
athlete has with the ground). At first holes were ruled illegal by track
officials, but eventually, for the safety of the vaulters, holes were accepted.
Bamboo was the pole of choice for its strength and lightness. After the these
advancements were made vaulters cleared higher heights and landing on grass
became vary dangerous, not to mention uncomfortable. The first mats were
nothing more than a pile of sawdust or sand. Eventually, plastic and foam
replaced the old pits because they were safer and it took less work to maintain
these mats.
The form used in order to master an event usually is found through trial and
error. For example, the Texas Roll was used in the high jump until the Folsbury
Flop was introduced. The pole vault form is an exception to this. Scientific
research in the fields of physics and biomechanics produced the form used by
pole vaulters; one that is still basically used today. Yale University was the
first to produce the vault form and their vaulters were outstanding at the
beginning of the century. Their discovers were kept secret and some of those
documents still exist, but with the use of the slow motion camera, others were
able to mimic Yales technique. The form continued to evolve and the Jackknife
technique was abandoned for the flyaway, the form commonly used today. The
master of the vault during the era of wood poles was Dutch Warmerdam. This era
ended with the beginning of World War II when Dutch had to leave for the army.
He was the first pole vaulter in the world to vault fifteen feet. After the war
bamboo was in short supply and metal poles were lighter.
Soon fiberglass poles became more advance than ever before. It enabled vautlers
to go higher and records were quickly broken. The sixteen foot barrier was
broken with a fiberglass pole. New all-weather runways were introduced,
replacing the cinder and dirt or clay runway. Now all vaulters vaulted on a
consistent surface.
This brings us to the present era of the pole vault. New pole made out of a
mixture of carbon and fiberglass have been introduced. The carbon poles are
even lighter than the fiberglass poles. Whether the carbon poles give the
vaulter a definite advantage is being debated by coaches. The French used a
tuck form of the pole vault in the late eighties, but now most vaulters are
using the swing form used by Sergui Bubka, the world record holder and the
first man over twenty feet. The future of the vault is uncertain. Many high
schools are abandoning the event because of danger involved with the high
altitudes reached by todays vaulters. Insurance costs and the costs to keep a
steady supply of poles have made the event costly for tight high school
budgets. Also the form of the vault is simple in theory, but to teach a young
athlete the form is timely. Many high schools hire a coach that dedicates the
vast majority of his time to the pole vault. The constant attention and
coaching that a young vaulter needs makes it unfair to the other events.
However this coaching and attention is needed for the safety of the vaulter.
Iowa high schools have abandoned the vault entirely and many high schools in
Illinois have followed.
A new development in vaulting is the introduction of vaulting to women. The
current world record for womens pole vault is 15 feet 4 inches. Women in pole
vaulting may save the sport at the high school level. In California, women are
allowed to compete in pole vault and it would be good for the event if other
states follow Californias lead. States must understand that pole vault is a
safe event if proper equipment and instruction is used. It just takes a little
time to learn the proper technique, but it can be done safely. There is a
saying, If man was meant to fly, God would have given him wings. No God did not
give man or WOMAN wings, He gave THEM pole vault.