Medly of Winning Olympic Vaults

[KirkB]

Here's a good quality vid of Olympic PV Highlights, from "janar1" (Estonia). He just published this 9 days ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08aj_XXeq9E

It includes a good quality vid of Wolfgang Nordwig in 1972 ... far better quality than the last one I posted.

At about the 1:00 minute mark, it also shows Bob Seargren throwing his pole (twice) like a javelin after his 3rd miss in 1972 ... not AT Paulen. Then he HANDS it to Paulen (he doesn't throw it ... as the rumor goes).

Here's what I said about this on the "Test your pole vault IQ with this quiz" thread. This vid is the PROOF that I was looking for. Ah ... my memory's not so bad after all ... after all these years!

My, how stories grow!

C is correct - he competed in a number of professional PV competitions - mostly against Steve Smith. Back in those days, "professional" was a dirty word, and pros couldn't compete in the Olympics, or in any AAU or USATF competitions.

A is INCORRECT. I was right there. He mocked the official (Adrian Paulen) by "ceremoniously" presenting his pole to him. Paulen refused to take it, so he got booed by the crowd. I'd like to see a close-up of that alleged photo. It sounds VERY exagerated!

Now I've seen that "close-up" that I was asking for. Thanks, Janar!

Here's the caption that Janar posted on YouTube. It helps to know who you're watching! Thanks again, Janar!

Summer Olympic Games.
1896 Athens 1.William Hoyt (USA) 3.30 OR
1920 Antwerpen 1.Frank Foss (USA) 4.09 WR
1928 Amsterdam 1.Sabin Carr (USA) 4.20 OR
1936 Berlin 1.Earle Meadows (USA) 4.35 OR
1952 Helsinki 1.Bob Richards (USA) 4.55 OR
1968 Mexico 1.Bob Seagren (USA) 5.40 OR
1972 Munich 1.Wolfgang Nordwig (DDR) 5.50 OR 2.Bob Seagren (USA) 5.40
1980 Moscow 1.Wladyslaw Kozakiewicz (POL) 5.78 WR
1985 Sergei Bubka 6.00 WR
1988 Seoul 1.Sergei Bubka (UKR) 5.90 OR
1996 Atlanta 1.Jean Galfione (FRA) 5.92 OR
2000 Sydney 1.Nick Hysong (USA) 5.90
1994 Sestriere Sergey Bubka 6.14
America racked up an incredible sequence by winning every mens Olympic title from 1896 to 1968.
Robert "Bob" Richards the only two-time Olympic gold medal winner in the pole vault.

Kirk

[KirkB]

I have to say something else about Bob Seagren ...

For all the controversy over the 1972 Games, and the implication that Seagren might have won, had he used to regular poles, there was an article that I read recently that totally contradicts that. I don't remember where I read that article (I'm back to my memory failing me ), but in it, Seagren said that it's just as well that he used borrowed poles, because with the swirling wind conditions that day, he might never have gotton onto his own poles (paraphrasing).

After I read that article, I thought he was a really good sport about the whole affair. You have to consider him throwing his poles and handing one to Paulen as simply SHOWMANSHIP, not POOR SPORTSMANSHIP! No one can deny that Seagren was a SHOWMAN. He ALWAYS played to the TV cameras. He was destined for an acting career, and he got there! (Soap.)

And if you notice the expression on his face when he handed Paulen his pole ... you'll see that he wasn't mean-spirited at all ... he was smiling!

But I now see him in a slightly different light, after reading his matter-of-fact admission that his own poles wouldn't have boosted him any higher that day. That was quite humble and honest of him. I admire that.

Kirk

[KirkB]

I posted this vid on the new Fliggo PV site http://polevaultvideos.fliggo.com/video/xfPPtVpg

It seems like a nice alternative to YouTube! Nothin but PV vids!

Kirk

[dj]

hey kirk,,

look at the bend of the pole Kaz's is jumping on in 1980... that is one of the patterns i put in my file.. bruce C gave me the demensions.. and they matched the "majic pole" i talked about in the other post..

dj