Pole VaultTrack and field is one of the most diverse sports in the sporting community. The variety of events makes it a great choice for everyone. With 12 different events, every kind of person is given the chance to shine. Many of the events overlap with body types such as shot put and discus, both require a strong core and muscular arms. Pole vault is an event that uses your whole body and requires maximum focus to ensure no injuries will occur. Pole vault has many different aspects to it and I will be discussing its evolution and terms pole vaulters use, the physics of pole vaulting, its comparison to other events, and the risks that pole vaulters face every time they vault.Pole vaulting can be dated all the way back to the ancient Greeks,
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Around the time the new techniques came, new poles were introduced too. Bamboo became the next trend for upper level pole vaulters. These poles were lighter than the hardwood poles in previous years which allowed vaulters to have a higher run up velocity. The poles were also hollow thus the pole would slightly bend on the way up. Vaulters used this bend to get to more towering heights.Modern pole vaulters have changed their ways since the days of bamboo poles and climbing to the top. The pole vault community started regulating poles and standards to keep people safe. McCormick says, “Poles are now tested for how much weight they can withstand. You are not allowed to use a pole if you weigh more than the maximum weight the pole can resist” (McCormick). This seems logical and sounds like common sense but there can be numerous of problems with people snapping poles and becoming injured. The beams that hold the bar up for the vaulter are called the standards. The rules allow vaulters to adjust the standards to how far away you want them when you vault. The standards are measured in inches away from the place you plant the pole, also called the plant box. The measurements used to go from 0 all the way back to 32. This means the bar is directly over the plant box and 32 inches behind it. The rules were changed after the many deaths and injuries that occurred when the standards were too close respective to the runway and vaulters fell hard onto the track with no padding to help. The standards have the ability to still be moved from 0 to 32 but the rules now only allow for 18 through 31 inclusive. The standards are also lined with padding to protect the vaulter if he/she makes a mistake. The pits are full of foam and nylon now to make for a soft landing instead of the wood chips or other “soft” materials people could find. Nevertheless pole vaulting has changed a lot over the years, so now
Around the time the new techniques came, new poles were introduced too. Bamboo became the next trend for upper level pole vaulters. These poles were lighter than the hardwood poles in previous years which allowed vaulters to have a higher run up velocity. The poles were also hollow thus the pole would slightly bend on the way up. Vaulters used this bend to get to more towering heights.Modern pole vaulters have changed their ways since the days of bamboo poles and climbing to the top. The pole vault community started regulating poles and standards to keep people safe. McCormick says, “Poles are now tested for how much weight they can withstand. You are not allowed to use a pole if you weigh more than the maximum weight the pole can resist” (McCormick). This seems logical and sounds like common sense but there can be numerous of problems with people snapping poles and becoming injured. The beams that hold the bar up for the vaulter are called the standards. The rules allow vaulters to adjust the standards to how far away you want them when you vault. The standards are measured in inches away from the place you plant the pole, also called the plant box. The measurements used to go from 0 all the way back to 32. This means the bar is directly over the plant box and 32 inches behind it. The rules were changed after the many deaths and injuries that occurred when the standards were too close respective to the runway and vaulters fell hard onto the track with no padding to help. The standards have the ability to still be moved from 0 to 32 but the rules now only allow for 18 through 31 inclusive. The standards are also lined with padding to protect the vaulter if he/she makes a mistake. The pits are full of foam and nylon now to make for a soft landing instead of the wood chips or other “soft” materials people could find. Nevertheless pole vaulting has changed a lot over the years, so now