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

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]

Men's pole vault
at the Games of the II Olympiad
VenueBois de Boulogne
DateJuly 15
Competitors8 from 5 nations
Medalists
Irving Baxter
 United States
Meredith Colket
 United States
Carl Albert Andersen
 Norway

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 vaultersBaxter 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(*) Raymond Clapp Chicago (USA) June 16, 1898
Olympic Record 3.30 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
 Eric 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. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2018.

Sources

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