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

This was the second appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. The American team was heavily favored, though the ruling that the Sunday competition would be final eliminated top competitors Charles Dvorak, Dan Horton, and Bascom Johnson, who were unaware of the ruling and expected to compete the following day.{{cite web |url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/56095 |work=Olympedia |title=Pole Vault, Men |access-date=17 September 2020}}

France, Hungary, Norway, and Sweden each made their first appearance in the event. The United States was the only nation to have pole vaulters at both the 1896 and 1900 Games.

There was a single round of vaulting.

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

{{World Olympic Record

| world_athlete = {{flagathlete|Raymond Clapp|USA}}

| world_mark = 3.62^*

| world_place = Chicago, United States

| world_date = 16 June 1896

| olympic_athlete = {{flagIOCathlete|William Hoyt|USA|1896 Summer}}

| olympic_mark = 3.30

| olympic_place = Athens, Greece

| olympic_date = 10 April 1896 (NS)

}}

^* unofficial

Irving Baxter equalized the Olympic record with 3.30 metres.

The Sunday schedule prevented some Americans from competing. Because the event was held immediately after the high jump, the high jump winner (Irving Baxter) decided to compete.

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.

Instead of a medal, Baxter received an umbrella.CLAIRE SUDDATH. [https://time.com/archive/6685879/a-brief-history-of-olympic-medals/ "A Brief History Of: Olympic Medals"]. Time, August 7 2008

Following the official event on Sunday, two additional pole vault competitions were held on Monday (16 July) and Thursday (19 July). Only the winner is known from the 16 July competition; the 19 July competition was held after the handicap pole vault and the top two finishers are known.{{Cite web |title=Olympedia – Special Scratch Pole Vault #1, Men |url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/925059 |access-date=2024-03-07 |website=www.olympedia.org}}{{Cite web |title=Olympedia – Special Scratch Pole Vault #2, Men |url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/925060 |access-date=2024-03-07 |website=www.olympedia.org}}

They were both hosted by the French Olympic officials, by request of the American athletes who did not compete on Sunday thinking their later marks would count for medals. These competitions were considered to be outside of the Olympic events by the French officials at the time.

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{{reflist}}

• [http://olympic.org International Olympic Committee].
• De Wael, Herman. Herman's Full Olympians: "Athletics 1900". Accessed 18 March 2006. Available electronically at [http://users.skynet.be/hermandw/olymp/ath1900.html ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060211154257/http://users.skynet.be/hermandw/olymp/ath1900.html |date=11 February 2006 }}.
• {{cite book | author = Mallon, Bill | year = 1998 | title = The 1900 Olympic Games, Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary | publisher = McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers | location = Jefferson, North Carolina | isbn = 0-7864-0378-0 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/1900olympicgames00mall }}

{{OlympicsPoleVault}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions Pole Vault Men}}

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Men's jumping pole vault

Category:Pole vault at the Olympics