Athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – Men's pole vault

Background

The men's pole vault at the 1960 Summer Olympics marked the event's 14th appearance, making it one of a dozen athletics events featured at every Games. Among those returning from the 1956 finals were Greece's bronze medalist Georgios Roubanis, Finland's Eeles Landström and Matti Sutinen, and Manfred Preußger of the United Team of Germany. Soviet vaulter Vladimir Bulatov, ranked fifth globally in 1959, was expected to be a contender but fractured his ankle during warm-ups.

Don Bragg entered as the favorite after setting a new world record at the U.S. Olympic trials. Bulgaria, Iraq, Nigeria, and Turkey competed for the first time, while Germany appeared as the United Team of Germany for the first time. The United States made its 14th appearance, remaining the only nation to have participated in every Olympic men's pole vault.

Competition format

The men's pole vault followed a two-round system first used in 1912, with all prior results reset between rounds. Each vaulter got three attempts per height.

Ties were resolved by countback, first comparing total misses, then total attempts. Qualifying heights were 3.80, 4.00, 4.20, 4.30, and 4.40 metres; anyone clearing 4.40 made the final, or the top 12 if fewer succeeded. In the final, heights progressed from 4.00 to 4.70 metres, and the winner could attempt a record height afterward.

Did You Know?

• Don Bragg and Ron Morris both cleared 4.60 metres, beating the Olympic record.
• The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress.