The Soviet-boycott weakened the field in this event, mainly by keeping out the Polish vaulters and Soviet Sergey Bubka, who had won the 1983 World Championships and broken the world record four times in 1984. He would have been a heavy favorite, but as his later record at the Olympics would…
There were three favorites in 1976 – Americans Dave Roberts and Earl Bell, and Poland’s Władysław Kozakiewicz. But Kozakiewicz struggled, could only clear 5.25 (17-2¾), and finished 11th. Six vaulters remained in the competition after 5.45 (17-10½) – Roberts, Bell, Poland’s Tadeusz Ślusarski and Wojciech Buciarski, Finland’s Antti Kalliomäki, and France’s Patrick Abada. At 5.50 (18-0½), Abada and Bell…
