“Although approximately half of the 24 countries which boycotted the 1976 Summer Olympics participated in these, the 1980 Games were disrupted by another, even larger, boycott led by the United States followed by 60 other countries in protest of the 1979 Soviet war in Afghanistan. Many of the boycotting nations participated instead in the Olympic Boycott Games or the “Liberty Bell Classic” in Philadelphia.” from 1980 Summer Olympics on wikipedia.
1896 Athens 1.William Hoyt (USA) 3.30 OR
1920 Antwerpen 1.Frank Foss (USA) 4.09 WR
1928 Amsterdam 1.Sabin Carr (USA) 4.20 OR
1936 Berlin 1.Earle Meadows (USA) 4.35 OR
1952 Helsinki 1.Bob Richards (USA) 4.55 OR
1968 Mexico 1.Bob Seagren (USA) 5.40 OR
1972 Munich 1.Wolfgang Nordwig (DDR) 5.50 OR 2.Bob Seagren (USA) 5.40
1980 Moscow 1.Wladyslaw Kozakiewicz (POL) 5.78 WR
1985 Sergei Bubka 6.00 WR
1988 Seoul 1.Sergei Bubka (UKR) 5.90 OR
1996 Atlanta 1.Jean Galfione (FRA) 5.92 OR
2000 Sydney 1.Nick Hysong (USA) 5.90
1994 Sestriere Sergei Bubka 6.14
America racked up an incredible sequence by winning every mens Olympic title from 1896 to 1968.
Robert “Bob” Richards the only two-time Olympic gold medal winner in the pole vault.
Colwick wins first Rice title since 1995
COLLEGE STATION – Jason Colwick became the first Rice athlete to win an individual NCAA indoor title since 1995 with his win in the pole vault over the weekend.
Colwich won by a sizeable margin with a final vault of 5.60-meters or 18-foot, 4.5-inches. Yevgeniy Olhovsky, from Virginia Tech, was second clearing 17-foot, 10.5-inches.
After having the meet won Colwick took three attempts at beating his personal-best for the year. He said the extra attempts, if completed, would have moved him up the world rankings.
Once the announcer brought the crowd’s attention to the pole vault, Colwick raised his arms and urged the crowd to get behind him. The nearly 5,000 in attendance at McFerrin Athletic Center stood to cheer him on.
“Definitely those third attempts when the crowd gets going,” Colwick said. “That’s what gets me going.”