Who is the Best American Pole Vaulter in History

[kev44000]

1 jeff hartwig 2 earl bell small guy joe dial

[spike gibeault]

joe dial
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xeDI93A477g

Cornelius (Dutch) WARMERDAM
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kH-pAXnlmkA

Tim McMichaels
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPHdlD8Gk4c

Scott Huffman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEoZSYCbocE

[BobInReno]

This is an easy question. Dutch Warmerdam hands down for the stiff pole era. Now it get tricky.....I would have to say that it is a 5 way tie in the composite era. The 5 are...Drum roll please......Bob Seagren, Serg Bubka, Jan Johnson, Mike Tully, and last but not least Dave Roberts. just my opinion....Ooops.....OK Put in Fred Hanson instead of Bubka....LOL

[KirkB]

I didn't know that Bubka was American.

I like your picks of Johnson and Roberts ... but only becuz they're my fav vaulters of the late 60s and early 70s ... and my vaulting buddies on a few occassions. However, they were in the Seagren era, and if you count WRs, there's no comparison. Steve Smith is also suspiciously missing from that era's list. However, the question is of all-time ... not any one era ... so I think Warmerdam has it hands down. He was just so dominant for so many years.

Kirk

[kcvault]

As far as titles one and consitancy he may not be the best American vaulter but I can't belive no one mentioned Brad Walker. Personally I belive if he was able to stay un injured he would be the world record holder. However there is so many variables cant really say who the best is. Scott Huffman pushed off 49 inches as a short guy. (That means only was he at a disadvantage with how high he could hold but 6 inch lower standing reach would mean six inch lower pushoff with the same tecknique at the top of the vault) Should we say who was the best vaulter ever or break it down into catagories who was the best for there ability, who had the greatest push off at the top of the pole, who jumped the highest, who won the most championships and who was the most consistent over big bars. I dont know the rest but hartwig wins the last.

[KirkB]

Dutch Warmerdam set his first WR in 1939, and his last one in 1943. He set 9 WRs altogether ... 6 indoors and 3 outdoors over a period of 4 years.

His last indoor WR set in 1943 was broken by Don Bragg in 1959. Earl Meadows set 3 indoor WRs in 1939-1941 which broke Warmerdam's dominance for 2 years. His indoor WR was unbeaten for 17 years!

His last outdoor WR set in 1942 was broken by Bob Gutowski in 1957. There were no vaulters that broke Warmerdam's dominance outdoors ... from 1940 to 1957 - a period of 17 years!

Now let's compare that to Bob Seagren ...

Seagren set his first WR in 1966, and his last one in 1972. He set 12 WRs altogether ... 8 indoors and 4 outdoors ... over a period of 6 years.

Seagren was more dominant indoors than outdoors. Indoors, his string of 8 WRs wasn't broken ... from 1966 to 1969.

His outdoor record was broken by 6 other vaulters between the time of his first and last outdoor WR - 1966-1972.

Seagren set more WRs than Warmerdam, but only because he went in more meets. Seagren's records lasted for only 9 years.

On that basis, I think Warmerdam is the clear all-time champ ... by 8 years.

Another way to compare the best American vaulters is by counting their World #1 Rankings. Unfortunately, the T&F News Rankings only go back to 1947 and up to 2002. But here's all the multiple year top-ranked names on those lists ...

Guin Smith 2 1947-48
Bob Richards 8 1949-56
Bob Gutowski 2 1957-58
Don Bragg 2 1959-60
Ron Morris 2 1961-62
John Pennel 2 1965-66
Bob Seagren 2 1968-69

Bubka's not American, but he was top-ranked 13 times!

Kirk

[vtcoach]

Bob Richards. Two time olympic champion (only one in history), olympic bronze medalist, 17 times US champion.