Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's pole vault

Men's pole vault
at the Games of the II Olympiad
Venue Bois de Boulogne
Date July 15
Competitors 8 from 5 nations
Medalists
1st, gold medalist(s) Irving Baxter
 United States
2nd, silver medalist(s) Meredith Colket
 United States
3rd, bronze medalist(s) Carl Albert Andersen
 Norway

The men's pole vault was a track & field athletics event at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was held on July 15, 1900. Eight athletes from five nations competed in the pole vault.[1]

This event was heavily protested by the United States team, as it was held on a Sunday and three of the top American vaulters had been told that they could vault on the following day and have the results count. The French organizers, however, ruled on July 14 that the results of Sunday competitions would be final. The American vaulters did not learn of that decision until after the event. The two that did compete were not regularly vaulters—Baxter had just finished winning the high jump when the pole vault began and decided to join the competition.

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in metres) prior to the 1900 Summer Olympics.

World Record 3.62(*) United States Raymond Clapp Chicago (USA) June 16, 1898
Olympic Record 3.30 United States William Hoyt Athens (GRE) April 10, 1896 (NS)

(*) unofficial

Irving Baxter equalized the Olympic record with 3.30 metres.

Results

PlaceAthleteHeight
1 Irving Baxter (USA)3.30 m
2 Meredith Colket (USA)3.25 m
3 Carl Albert Andersen (NOR)3.20 m
4 Émile Gontier (FRA)3.10 m
 Jakab Kauser (HUN)3.10 m
 Erik Lemming (SWE)3.10 m
7 Karl Staaf (SWE)2.80 m
8 August Nilsson (SWE)2.60 m

Baxter, despite being a high jumper who had little experience in pole vaulting and having just finished the high jump competition, was the top vaulter. Along with the other medallists, he cleared 3.10 metres first, then 3.20 metres. Andersen could not clear 3.25 while both the Americans did. That was the highest vault that Colket could accomplish, however, and Baxter's 3.30 was enough to win.

References

  1. ↑ "Athletics at the 1900 Paris Summer Games: Men's Pole Vault". sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2 January 2018.

Sources

  • International Olympic Committee.
  • De Wael, Herman. Herman's Full Olympians: "Athletics 1900". Accessed 18 March 2006. Available electronically at .
  • Mallon, Bill (1998). The 1900 Olympic Games, Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 0-7864-0378-0.
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