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1968 Olympic Games Ciudad de México, Mexico - Men's Pole Vault

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Details: Parent Category: Olympic Games (Athletics); Category: 1968 Olympic Games Ciudad de México, Mexico - (Athletics); Last Updated: 27 June 2016; Hits: 1830

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Host City: Ciudad de México, Mexico

Format: Top 12 and ties and all those clearing 4.90 metres advanced to the final.

Date Started: October 14, 1968

Date Finished: October 16, 1968

(Competitors: 23; Countries: 15; Finalists: 15)

Venue(s): University Olympic Stadium, Ciudad de México

Overview by IAAF

Seagren was favourite, with European Champion Nordwig the next man most likely to succeed. They, and 13 others, cleared 4.90 to qualify. In the final only two athletes went out before the bar was raised to 5.10. Eleven men cleared 5.15 to beat the incumbent Olympic record, and nine went over 5.20. Bliznetsov dropped a place from 1964 despite clearing 5.30 – 35cm more than in Tokyo – leaving five men to battle for the medals. Pennel placed fifth after clearing 5.35 third time compared with Hristos Papanikolau’s first-time effort. Then Pennel made 5.40 on his second jump, good enough for the bronze medal ... but his pole passed under the bar, negating the clearance. The rule was changed the following year, but was in keeping with Pennel’s rotten Olympic luck. Nordwig was the bronze medal winner, making 5.40 on his final jump, while ahead of him Schiprowski was the surprise of the event, improving his best four times with booming athletic clearances at each height. Seagren was ahead because he had one less miss at lower heights. None of the three made 5.45, though Nordwig was closest, and Seagren had won the 16th consecutive gold medal (excluding 1906) for the USA The previous Olympic record was beaten 29 times by 11 athletes.

Summary by Sports-reference.com

As in 1964 the competition came down to an American and several Germans. The American favorites were Bob Seagren and John Pennel, with Seagren considered the better. Both had set multiple world records. Six jumpers were still alive after 5.30 (17-4½) – Seagren, Pennel, Klaus Schiprowski (FRG), Wolfgang Nordwig (GDR), Khristos Papanikolaou (GRE), and Gennady Bliznetsov (URS). Bliznetsov missed at 5.35 (17-6½), and Seagren passed at that height. His pass was considered unusual and he later commented that it was his unfamiliarity with the metric system, as he did not realize that 5.35 was 17-6½, which was still a big height in that era. At 5.40 (17-8½), Pennel cleared on his second effort but his pole passed under the uprights, which was illegal in that era (the rule was changed the next year), and he would settle for 5.35 (17-6½) and fifth place. Seagren, Schiprowski and Nordwig all cleared 5.40 (17-8½), Seagren and Schiprowski on the second effort, Nordwig missing twice. When all three missed at 5.45 (17-10½), that gave Seagren the gold medal over Schiprowski based on fewer overall misses, with Nordwig getting bronze because of his three misses at 5.40 (17-8½).

Records

Prior to the competition, the existing World and Olympic records were as follows.

World record	Bob Seagren (USA)	5.41 m A	Echo Summit, United States	12 September 1968
Olympic record	Fred Hansen (USA)	5.10 m	Tokyo, Japan	17 October 1964

The following new Olympic record was set during this competition:

Date	Event	Athlete	Mark	Notes
16 October	Final	Bob Seagren (USA) Claus Schiprowski (FRG) Wolfgang Nordwig (GDR)	5.40	OR

Results

*Pole Vault*	Men	Final	16 October

Rank	Mark	Athlete	Country	NOC	Age	Records	Notes
1	5.40	Bob Seagren	United States	USA	21	OR
2	5.40	Claus Schiprowski	West Germany	FRG	25	OR
3	5.40	Wolfgang Nordwig	East Germany	GDR	25	OR
4	5.35	Khristos Papanikolaou	Greece	GRE	26	OR
5	5.35	John Pennel	United States	USA	28	OR
6	5.30	Hennadiy Bleznitsov	Soviet Union	URS	27	OR
7	5.25	Hervé d'Encausse	France	FRA	25	OR
8	5.20	Heinfried Engel	West Germany	FRG	21	OR
9	5.20	Ignacio Sola	Spain	ESP	24	OR
10	5.15	Kjell Isaksson	Sweden	SWE	20	OR
11	5.15	Kiyoshi Niwa	Japan	JPN	21	OR
12	5.00	Aleksandr Malyutin	Soviet Union	URS	29
13	5.00	Mike Bull	Great Britain	GBR	22
14	5.00	Altti Alarotu	Finland	FIN	23
AC	NH	Erkki Mustakari	Finland	FIN	22
*Pole Vault*	Men	Qualifying Round Group A	14 October

Rank	Mark	Athlete	Country	NOC	Age	Records	Notes
1T	4.90	Wolfgang Nordwig	East Germany	GDR	25
1T	4.90	John Pennel	United States	USA	28
3T	4.90	Altti Alarotu	Finland	FIN	23
3T	4.90	Erkki Mustakari	Finland	FIN	22
3T	4.90	Hervé d'Encausse	France	FRA	25
3T	4.90	Claus Schiprowski	West Germany	FRG	25
3T	4.90	Khristos Papanikolaou	Greece	GRE	26
3T	4.90	Hennadiy Bleznitsov	Soviet Union	URS	27
9	4.90	Bob Seagren	United States	USA	21
10	4.90	Kjell Isaksson	Sweden	SWE	20
11	4.90	Heinfried Engel	West Germany	FRG	21
12	4.60	Casey Carrigan	United States	USA	17
*Pole Vault*	Men	Qualifying Round Group B	14 October

Rank	Mark	Athlete	Country	NOC	Age	Records	Notes
1T	4.90	Ignacio Sola	Spain	ESP	24
1T	4.90	Mike Bull	Great Britain	GBR	22
1T	4.90	Kiyoshi Niwa	Japan	JPN	21
4	4.90	Aleksandr Malyutin	Soviet Union	URS	29
5	4.80	Pantelis Nikolaidis	Greece	GRE	26
6	4.80	Enrico Barney	Argentina	ARG	27
7	4.75	Klaus Lehnertz	West Germany	FRG	30
8	4.75	John-Erik Blomqvist	Sweden	SWE	23
9	4.50	Wu Ah-Min	Chinese Taipei	TPE	30
10	4.50	Heinz Wyss	Switzerland	SUI	22
AC	NH	Ingo Peyker	Austria	AUT	27

Detailed View

Results

Qualifying

Rank	Group	Name	Nationality	Mark	4.20	4.30	4.40	4.50	4.60	4.70	4.75	4.80	4.85	4.90
1=	A	Wolfgang Nordwig	East Germany	4.90					–	–	–	–	–	o
1=	A	John Pennel	United States	4.90					–	–	–	–	–	o
3=	A	Altti Alarotu	Finland	4.90					–	o	–	–	–	o
3=	A	Erkki Mustakari	Finland	4.90					o	–	–	–	–	o
3=	A	Hervé d'Encausse	France	4.90					–	–	–	o	–	o
3=	A	Claus Schiprowski	West Germany	4.90					–	–	–	o	–	o
3=	A	Christos Papanikolaou	Greece	4.90					–	–	–	o	–	o
3=	A	Hennadiy Bleznitsov	Soviet Union	4.90					o	–	–	–	–	o
9=	B	Ignacio Sola	Spain	4.90	–	–	–	–	o	–	–	o	–	o
9=	B	Mike Bull	Great Britain	4.90	–	–	–	–	o	–	–	o	–	o
9=	B	Kiyoshi Niwa	Japan	4.90	–	–	–	–	o	–	–	o	–	o
12	B	Aleksandr Malyutin	Soviet Union	4.90	–	–	xxo	o	–	o	–	xxo	–	o
13	A	Bob Seagren	United States	4.90					–	–	–	–	–	xo
14	A	Kjell Isaksson	Sweden	4.90					–	o	–	–	–	xo
15	A	Heinfried Engel	West Germany	4.90					o	–	–	o	–	xxo
16	B	Pantelis Nikolaidis	Greece	4.80	–	–	o	–	o	–	–	o	–	xxx
17	B	Enrico Barney	Argentina	4.80	o	o	–	xo	o	xxo	–	o	–	xxx
18	B	Klaus Lehnertz	West Germany	4.75	–	–	o	–	o	–	o	–	xxx
19	B	John-Erik Blomqvist	Sweden	4.75	–	–	–	–	o	–	xxo	–	–	xxx
20	A	Casey Carrigan	United States	4.60					o	–	–	–	–	xxx
21	B	Wu Ah-Min	Republic of China	4.50	o	o	–	o	xxx
22	B	Heinz Wyss	Switzerland	4.50	–	xo	–	o	–	r
N/A	B	Ingo Peyker	Austria	–	–	–	–	xxx

Key: OR = Olympic record; o = clear ; – = pass; x = fail; r = retired

Final

Rank	Name	Nationality	4.60	4.80	4.90	5.00	5.05	5.10	5.15	5.20	5.25	5.30	5.35	5.40	5.45	Mark	Notes
	Bob Seagren	United States	–	–	–	–	o	–	–	xo	–	o	–	xo	xxx	5.40	OR
	Claus Schiprowski	West Germany	–	–	o	o	–	o	–	o	xo	o	xo	xo	xxx	5.40	OR
	Wolfgang Nordwig	East Germany	–	–	–	xo	–	–	–	o	–	o	o	xxo	xxx	5.40	OR
4	Christos Papanikolaou	Greece	–	o	–	o	–	–	o	–	xo	xo	o	xxx	–	5.35
5	John Pennel	United States	–	–	–	–	o	–	–	xo	–	xo	xxo	xxx	–	5.35
6	Hennadiy Bleznitsov	Soviet Union	o	–	o	–	–	o	–	o	–	xo	xxx			5.30
7	Hervé d'Encausse	France	–	–	–	o	–	–	xo	–	o	–	xxx			5.25
8	Heinfried Engel	West Germany	–	o	–	xxo	–	xo	–	o	xxx					5.20
9	Ignacio Sola	Spain	–	xo	–	o	–	xo	o	xxo	xxx					5.20
10	Kjell Isaksson	Sweden	–	–	o	–	xo	–	o	xxx						5.15
11	Kiyoshi Niwa	Japan	–	o	o	o	–	o	xo	xxx						5.15
12	Aleksandr Malyutin	Soviet Union	o	–	o	o	–	xxx								5.00
13	Mike Bull	Great Britain	–	xo	o	xo	–	xxx								5.00
14	Altti Alarotu	Finland	–	–	–	xxo	r									5.00
N/A	Erkki Mustakari	Finland	–	xxx												NM