The Greatest Pole Vaulters of All-Time
The 4 Greatest Pole Vaulters of All-Time
Inspiring to watch and super risky to take part in, pole vaulting is one of the most intriguing sports out there!
It takes a lot of practice to become a skilled pole vaulter.
But who are THE greatest pole vaulters of all-time? Read on to find out!
Pole-vaulting legend Renaud Lavillenie
Pole vaulting is filled with excitement, enriched with unbelievably talented sportspeople and it has a level of risk that keeps it thrilling for viewers.
Considered an extreme and high-risk sport due to its nature and the heights involved, pole vaulting is truly inspiring to witness - and a challenge to practice, due to the potential dangers of the sport.
While the sport has seen improvements in safety measures and equipment over the years, there are still inherent risks involved.
Unfortunately, there have been instances of severe injuries and even a double-digit number of fatalities.
These risks stem from factors such as falling from heights, pole breaking, equipment malfunctions, hazards on the runway and even technical errors in timing, grip, plant or swing.
Precise techniques and coordination are vital when participating in this sport - and only a relatively small number of people can claim they have truly mastered this sport.
But who are these brave and talented souls? Let’s find out! Here is a list of the best pole vaulters of all-time.
4. Thiago Braz da Silva
Career Highlight Stats
He won gold at the 2016 Olympics
He set a new Olympic record of 6.03m in 2016
He won bronze at the 2020 Olympics
Thiago Braz da Silva is a remarkable athlete from Brazil. He made history at the 2016 Olympics when he won the gold medal.
Braz's journey in pole vaulting began in his early teenage years. He started practising the sport at the age of 14 under the guidance of coach Elson Miranda.
Braz quickly displayed natural talent and dedication, showing promise as he progressed in his training, developed his skills and gained attention on an international level.
He first competed in 2010 at the Youth Olympics and took home the silver medal. He then participated in the 2012 IAAF World Junior Championships, where he won a bronze medal at the age of 18.
Yet, his moment to shine came in the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro; competing in front of his home crowd, he produced a sensational performance.
In the final, Braz cleared 6.03 metres (19 feet 9¼ inches) on his third attempt, securing the gold medal and becoming the first Brazilian to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics since 1984.
His winning jump of 6.03 metres also set a new Olympic record, surpassing the previous mark held by Renaud Lavillenie.
Since then, he has also competed in the 2020 Olympic Games where he came third and won bronze.
Even though he doesn’t have many international championships under his belt like the rest on our list, he is a star on the rise - and his ongoing pole vaulting career is definitely worth following.
3. Sergey Bubka
Career Highlight Stats
He was originally a track-and-field athlete, before he found pole vaulting
First pole vaulter to clear 6.0 metres
He won an Olympic gold medal
Largely considered the greatest pole vaulter of all-time, Sergey Bubka is a Ukrainian who has practically revolutionised the sport with his historic records.
Born in Luhansk, current Ukraine, then the Soviet Union, Sergey originally became a track-and-field athlete in the 100-metre dash and the long jump.
He represented the Soviet Union until the dissolution of the USSR, and then his homeland, Ukraine.
However, it wasn’t until he switched to pole vault that he became internationally known overnight. And for good reason!
He managed to win the world championship in Finland back in 1983 seemingly out of nowhere, and the very next year set up his first world record by clearing a 5.85m (19ft 2in) jump.
This was just the beginning of an incredibly remarkable career that ended with six consecutive IAAF World Championships and an Olympic gold medal.
Sergey Bubka achieved many pole vaulting records, including:
First pole vaulter to clear 6.0 metres and 6.10 metres
Indoor world record of 6.15 metres in 1993 - he held that record for 21 years until Renauld Lavillenie cleared 6.16 metres in 2014 at the same meet and arena as Bubka
He broke the world record for men's pole vault 35 times
Much of Bubka’s success he owes to his admirable partnership with his coach Vitali Petrov, who coached him throughout his career.
He helped Sergey develop a unique technique that was never seen before - and since then, he’s been the inspiration for many of today’s pole-vaulting hybrid techniques.
Unlike most pole vaulters who focus on harnessing the energy loaded into the pole at takeoff by tucking and shooting, Petrov and Bubka instead chose to focus on adding energy to the pole by swinging their legs as they reached the vertical stage of the vault.
This made a big difference to Bubka’s style and results, as by pushing the pole upwards and emphasising this part, he continued to add energy to the pole as he approached the bar. This helped him reach remarkable heights.
He continued to support sports even after his pole vaulting career.
He became the Senior Vice President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and an Honorary Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
2. Renaud Lavillenie
Career Highlight Stats
Two Olympic medals (one gold and one silver)
In 2014, he broke the pole vault world record at 6.16 metres
Two silver and four bronze medals at the World Championships
The French pole vaulter has absolutely dominated the sport - and he has become a pole-vaulting legend.
Lavillenie was born into a family of pole vaulters; his father and younger brother were also both pole vaulters, and he made his debut at his first pole vault competition at the age of 17.
He has had one of the most successful careers in pole vaulting, including:
Two Olympic medals (one gold and one silver)
Two silver and four bronze medals at the World Championships
Three-time champion in the World Indoor Championships and European Championships
Four-time champion in the European Indoor Championships
Silver and gold at the Continental Cup
As far as breaking records goes, he successfully broke Jean Galfione's 10-year-old French national outdoor pole vault record with his 6.01-metre mark in 2009.
His three European Indoor Championships wins with gold medals have been consecutive and another remarkable achievement.
However, his biggest achievement occurred in 2014, when he broke the world record in Donetsk Ukraine by setting a new world record at 6.16 metres (20 feet 2½ inches).
This made him a legend, and a new hero to his nation.
While he competed in the 2016 Olympics in Rio - and he was the fan favourite for gold - his record of 5.98m actually got him silver as he was outmatched by Thiago Braz da Silva, who took home gold.
Nonetheless, his career is far from over - and we are sure to see even greater achievements from this athlete.
1. Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis
He is the future of pole vaulting
Gold medal at the 2020 Olympics
Gold medal at the 2015 World Youth Championship
The future of men’s pole vault, Armand, also referred to as Mondo Duplantis, is a Swedish-American superstar on the pole vaulting scene.
He is the most recent champion, winning gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He holds both the current indoor world record of 6.18m, and the current outdoor world record of 6.15m.
Armand was born into an athletic family, as his father was a pole vaulter with a personal best of 5.80m. His mum was also a heptathlete and volleyball player.
Sports seem to run in the family, as both his older brothers and his younger sisters have also enjoyed sporting success.
Duplantis stands out though, as he started competing young. He first tried pole vaulting at just three years old in his family home in Lafayette, Louisiana - and he instantly liked the sport!
He set his first age group world best at the age of seven when he first jumped 3.86m as a 10-year-old, which beat the records for his age as well as ages 11 and 12.
Since then, he continued to set records. This includes winning gold at the 2015 World Youth Championship at the age of 15.
The next year he set up a new age-16 world best, world indoor youth best and national high school indoor record. He was the first high school athlete to vault 18 feet indoors.
He also won the European Junior Championships in 2017 and 2018.
Since then, he continued to set records on the adult world stage. Since 2020, he has absolutely dominated the pole vaulting world.
He set a new world record for indoor pole vaulting - 6.18m. He also set an outdoor record 6.15m pole vault that same year.
He won the Diamond League golds for both 2021 and 2022, then the World Championship in 2022, the European Indoor Championship in 2021 and the World Indoor Championship in 2022.
His success has only increased in the last few years!
He managed to beat his own record twice. In 2022, he beat his own world record by jumping 6.19m (20ft 3+1⁄2in) at the Belgrade Indoor Meeting.
Just a few months later in July, he broke his own world record yet again, with a remarkable jump of 6.21m (20ft 4+1⁄2in) at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
He is currently at the start of his career - and he’s already considered the G.O.A.T of pole vaulting.
In 2023, Mondo broke the world record again at the All-Star Perche indoor meeting in Clermont-Ferrand, France, soaring clear at 6.22m (20ft 5in).
His career is still on the rise and we are so excited to see what he will do next as he is the current legend of the sport.
Do you follow these pole-vaulting stars? Who are the greatest pole vaulters of all-time? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
