What is "pole vault"

n. (context athletics English) a jumping event contested in track and field which requires an athlete to carry a fiberglass pole down a runway, plant the pole into a vaulting box and vault over a fiberglass bar, landing on a matted pit

n. a competition that involves jumping over a high crossbar with the aid of a long pole [syn: pole vaulting, pole jump, pole jumping]

Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole (which today is usually made either of fiberglass or carbon fiber) as an aid to jump over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, Cretans and Celts. It has been a full medal event at the Olympic Games since 1896 for men and 2000 for women.

It is typically classified as one of the four major jumping events in athletics, alongside the high jump, long jump and triple jump. It is unusual among track and field sports in that it requires a significant amount of specialised equipment in order to participate, even at a basic level. A number of elite pole vaulters have had backgrounds in gymnastics, including world record breakers Yelena Isinbayeva and Brian Sternberg, reflecting the similar physical attributes required for the sports. Running speed, however, may be the most important skill required.

Pole Vault or Pole vault can refer to:-

• Pole vault, the athletic discipline jumping over high obstacles using a long pole for leverage.
• Pole Vault a code-name for the troposcatter communications network used by the Pinetree Line air defence radars in the northern states of North America.