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Pole Vault Techniques |
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Track and Field – Pole Vault – History Pole vault is one of the most popular track and
field events. The spectators love to see the vaulter run, gather
momentum, leap high above, cross the bar, hit the mattress and bounce
back to his feet. Anywhere in the world people like to watch this event
with awe! Going back on time machine! It is a sport loved by the Greeks even before 1200
BC. Cretans – the then inhabitants of the largest island in the
southeast Mediterranean sea, known to be under the control of Greece –
used long poles just to vault over bulls they were caring. The Celts –
an ancient European race that lived in Britain and Ireland from 400 BC
till the arrival of Romans in the first century BC. Also, they were
recorded to have lived in Western Europe, more particularly in areas of
France and Spain from about 1200 BC, till the arrival of the Romans.
They used to vault long distances with the help of a large pole. The
Pole vault, was included in the Gymnastic competitions in the year 1175,
in Germany but under the name and style of “Vertical Jump”. Then, the year 1850 recorded the first competitive
event of “running pole leaping”. It was different from the Pole
vault we know today. Heavily built, rigid poles made of ash were to be
climbed as far up as possible by the performers and then they had to
jump across the pit yonder. The Americans, always known for innovations and
rejection of outdated and cumbersome methods, whether it is technology,
business or sports, rejected the movement of hands along the poles.
They, instead, introduced the upward swing of the legs and body, so much
so, the belly, while facing down, becomes parallel to the crossbar at
the time of clearing it. Only in early 1900’s, bamboo poles, very light in weight, were employed for the first time, and ruled the roost till 1942. In 1942, the “planting box”, now generally known as “the plant” was included for the first time. Poles made up of aluminum, steel etc., came into being till the year 1957. Only during 1942 to 1957, in order to mitigate the sufferings of the competitors from a great fall on the pit filled with loose sand, they introduced landing mattresses. In the same period, the Americans introduced an innovative pole that was made from fiberglass. The pole vaulting has never been the same after this golden period, which in a sense has totally revolutionized the scenario! |
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