Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's pole vault

Did You Know?

• The competition consisted of two rounds, qualification and final.
• Cleared heights reset for the final.

Summary

This was the 28th appearance of the event, one of 12 athletics events held at every Summer Olympics. World record holder Renaud Lavillenie entered as the reigning Olympic champion and held the best vaults indoors and out before the competition. 2015 World Champion Shawnacy Barber of Canada ranked just behind, having cleared six metres that season. Thiago Braz, the 2012 World Junior Champion, had the third best mark of the year. American champion Sam Kendricks had won silver at the 2016 World Indoor Championships behind Lavillenie. Returning finalists from 2008 included bronze medalist Raphael Holzdeppe, sixth-place finisher Konstadinos Filippidis, and seventh-place finisher Jan Kudlička. No nation made its debut; the United States made its 27th appearance, most of any nation. In qualifying, nine men reached 5.70 m, with three others progressing on 5.60 m. Holzdeppe and 2011 world champion Paweł Wojciechowski exited at this stage. Braz, Kendricks and Filippidis were the only athletes to clear 5.70 m in one attempt.

Qualification

A National Olympic Committee could enter up to three qualified athletes if all met the entry standard of 5.70 metres during the qualifying period from 1 May 2015 to 11 July 2016. Both indoor and outdoor meets approved by the IAAF were accepted. NOCs could also use a universality place to enter one male athlete in the pole vault if they had no male athletes meeting the entry standard.

Records

After 5.93 meters, only two vaulters remained. The bar was set at 5.98 meters, a potential Olympic record. Renaud Lavillenie cleared it on his first try, breaking the record. Thiago Braz passed, as matching it would not improve his standing. At 6.03 meters, both missed, Lavillenie missed again, then Braz cleared to claim the Olympic record from him. Lavillenie failed at 6.08 meters; Braz, having secured gold, did not attempt that height. A national record was set.