The History of Pole Vaulting

Pole vaulting is one of the athletic events seen in amateur and professional track and field and also the Olympics. Today, athletes participating in the event use a long fiberglass pole to help them hurdle over a bar. Although the sport of pole vaulting as we know it has only been around for a couple hundred years, the use of poles to negotiate obstacles were used by ancient civilizations over 4,000 years ago.

  1. 2500 B.C.

    • Although there is no reliable evidence that any ancient civilizations pole vaulted competitively, there is archaeological and artistic findings that indicate that around this time people were using long poles in activities such as boating, farming and combat. Archaeologists suggest that these farmers, sailors and soldiers learned to use these poles to leap over various obstacles. Sculptures from this period suggest the Egyptians used poles in the construction of pyramids and temples, to cross irrigation ditches and to get over enemy walls.

    500 B.C.

    • There is little written about pole vaulting in ancient Greece. However, there is artistic evidence found in excavations that lead historians to believe that the technique of pole vaulting was known to the Greeks around 500 B.C. In the ancient Greek language, the word pole vault translates literally into "spear high jump." Although the pole vaulting techniques were known to the Greeks, they did not include it as one of their Olympic events.

    From Battle Spear to Vaulting Pole

    • In ancient and medieval times, battle poles and spears came in various shapes and sizes. Historians believe that soldiers at some point in time found that they could use these poles and spears to cross small creeks, streams and ditches. It is also safe to assume that these soldiers discovered that they could leap over low walls with the aid of their spears and battle poles. As warfare and battle strategies evolved, the designs of these poles and spears also changed. Artistic depictions of these weapons resemble the vaulting poles used competitively in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

    Types of Spears

    • Ancient Greeks used a long thrusting spear called a xyston. These spears measured up to 13 feet in length, which made them suitable for negotiating ditches and climbing walls. Pikes were also long thrusting spears that ranged from 10 to 20 feet in length. The tremendous length of these spears required a strong wood that would prevent the spear from sagging on both ends. The Japanese used lengthy spears called yari that ranged from 3 to 20 feet in length.

    Pole Vaulting for Sport

    • In 1829 B.C. pole vaulting competitions were first held by the Celts in ancient Ireland. The need to get across streams, brooks and other obstacles drove the Celts to use poles to jump over their obstructions. It didn't resemble pole vaulting of today until about 1850 A.D. The sport didn't become a part of collegiate track and field until the beginning of the 20th century. In 1896, pole vaulting became an official Olympic event. Women's pole vaulting became an Olympic event in 2000.