Athletics (British Sports Library)

CHAPTER XVIII THE POLE VAULT IN former days Pole Vaulting was a most popular English pastime. It fell into disuse, however, partly because the athletes found that they had reached the limit of performance with the heavy hickory or ash poles then employed ; but, princi– pally, because these same poles were liable to break transversely and impale the vaulter. The element of danger has now, however, been eliminated by the general use of bamboo vaulting-poles, which are also light enough to allow the vaulter to attain to much greater heights. Only twenty years ago the man who could clear 11 feet with certainty was pretty safe to place well, and in most cases to win, in any competition he cared to enter. To-day all first-class pole vaulters beat 12 feet, the real champions a foot and a half more, and 14 feet has been nearly reached by Charles Hoff, Norway (13 feet 9! inches), and R. E. Spearow, U.S.A., 13 feet 10! inches. Many school– boys have beaten 7 feet 6 inches, and I know one 212