Athletics at the 1932 Summer Olympics – Men's pole vault

The men's pole vault event at the 1932 Olympic Games took place August 3.[1] Eight athletes from four nations competed.[2] The 1930 Olympic Congress in Berlin had reduced the limit from 4 athletes per NOC to 3 athletes.[3] The event was won by Bill Miller of the United States, the nation's ninth consecutive victory in the men's pole vault. Japan won its first pole vault medal, with Shuhei Nishida's silver. George Jefferson won bronze, extending the American streak of two or more medals in each pole vault to nine as well.

Men's pole vault
at the Games of the X Olympiad
Bill Miller vaulting
VenueLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
DatesAugust 3
Competitors8 from 4 nations
Winning height4.315 OR
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Bill Miller
 United States
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Shuhei Nishida
 Japan
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) George Jefferson
 United States
← 1928
1936 →

Background

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This was the ninth appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. No vaulters from the 1928 Games returned. The American team, this time led by Bill Graber after he broke the world record in the trials, was again favored.[2]

No nations made their first appearance in the event, the first Games in which that was the case. The United States made its ninth appearance, the only nation to have competed at every Olympic men's pole vault to that point.

Competition format

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With only eight vaulters, there was only one round of vaulting rather than the usual two. Vaulters received three attempts at each height.[2][4]

Records

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These were the standing world and Olympic records (in metres) prior to the 1932 Summer Olympics.

World record   William Graber (USA) 4.37 Palo Alto, United States 16 July 1932
Olympic record   Sabin Carr (USA) 4.20 Amsterdam, Netherlands 1 August 1928

All three medalists (George Jefferson, Shuhei Nishida, and Bill Miller) matched the Olympic record at 4.20 metres. Nishida and Miller broke it, successfully vaulting first 4.25 metres and then 4.30 metres. Miller finished with the new record, clearing 4.315 metres when Nishida could not.

Schedule

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Date Time Round
Wednesday, 3 August 1932 14:30 Final

Results

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Key

  • o = Height cleared
  • x = Height failed
  • = Height passed
  • r  = Retired
  • SB = Season's best
  • PB = Personal best
  • NR = National record
  • AR = Area record
  • OR = Olympic record
  • WR = World record
  • WL = World lead
  • NM = No mark
  • DNS = Did not start
  • DQ = Disqualified

Jump sequences under 4.15 metres are not known.

Rank Athlete Nation 3.75 3.90 4.00 4.15 4.20 4.25 4.30 4.315 4.35 Height Notes
  Bill Miller   United States o o o xxo o o o xxo xxx 4.315 OR
  Shuhei Nishida   Japan o o o o xo xxo xxo xxx 4.30
  George Jefferson   United States o o o o xxx 4.20
4 Bill Graber   United States o o o xxo xxx 4.15
5 Shizuo Mochizuki   Japan o o o xxx 4.00
6 Lúcio de Castro   Brazil o o xxx 3.90
7 Peter Clentzos   Greece o xxx 3.75
Carlos Nelli   Brazil xxx No mark

References

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  1. ^ "Athletics at the 1932 Los Angeles Summer Games: Men's Pole Vault". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "Pole Vault, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  3. ^ Official Report, p. 377.
  4. ^ Official Report, p. 448.