# pole vault pole breaking **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 22, 2006, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pole-vault-pole-breaking/373752 "2006-09-22T18:10:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pole-vault-pole-breaking/373752/1 "2006-09-22T18:10:25Z")
how often do pole vault poles break and is it dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pole-vault-pole-breaking/373752/2 "2006-09-22T19:36:18Z")
[QUOTE=gonzomax] how often do pole vault poles break and is it dangerous. [/QUOTE] Can’t answer your question, but in doing a little web surfing I turned up [this link.](http://ajs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/full/29/1/50) I’m too cheap to pay for a subscription, but that has got to be some fascinating reading. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pole-vault-pole-breaking/373752/3 "2006-09-22T20:32:59Z")
My University has a subscription, apparently. They reviewed 32 cases that had been reported between 1984 & 1998 to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research (no, really, apparently it exists). Of note: > [@](#): > > None of the poles broke during the jump and none were identified as having any defects that may have contributed to the accident in the data collected by the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research. Thirteen interviewees were able to recall the weight rating of the pole. All poles except for one were rated at or above the pole-vaulter’s weight. … Just before this article was completed, we were notified of one accident that was not reported to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research in which the athlete’s body weight was greater than the weight rating of the pole (Gold Catapole, BSN Corp., Dallas, Texas) and resulted in a broken pole. The athlete landed upside down in the landing pad, sustaining an axial compression injury to the C4, C5, and C6 vertebrae. After surgical stabilization, the athlete made a full recovery. Also: “We are aware of only one death that was reported in a pole-vaulter who was impaled.” :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Frosted\_Glass](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frosted_glass/32/3926_2.png) [@Frosted\_Glass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frosted_Glass)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pole-vault-pole-breaking/373752/4 "2006-09-23T06:34:50Z")
I can only offer anecdotal evidence to answer your question. I have witnessed two poles breaking during my high school track career and I was on the high end of one of those. During my freshman year of high school, I witnessed my first pole vault pole break. A junior vaulter, who was ranked in the top 10 in the state, broke his pole during practice. His momentum carried him forward into the mats. It was loud and pretty frightening as it is a dangerous situation. Afterwards, our coach assured us that it was his good form that sent him into the mats. His pole was rated at his weight. When my pole broke in my sophomore year, it was quite memorable. I was also in practice doing a routine height to work on my form. All I remember is planting the pole and then getting shot forward into the mats. The swinging motion that occurs right after takeoff accounts vaulters being flung into the mats after breaking their poles. My left wrist, my perpendicular arm, was extremely sore, as it had absorbed an incredible amount of energy when the pole broke. My pole was rated above my weight. [This video shows what happens when a pole breaks during a vault.](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5470927633045062043) My experience was similar, except my pole had only one break in the middle. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pole-vault-pole-breaking/373752/5 "2006-09-23T06:58:50Z")
[QUOTE=Frosted Glass] [This video shows what happens when a pole breaks during a vault.](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5470927633045062043) My experience was similar, except my pole had only one break in the middle. [/QUOTE] It takes ten seconds for anyone to move in to help him! Did they think it was supposed to happen? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pole-vault-pole-breaking/373752/6 "2006-09-23T10:48:43Z")
A guy I went to high school with had his pole break on him and he wound up with shards of it in his leg. No idea if it was rated for his weight or if he had proper form. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pole-vault-pole-breaking/373752/7 "2006-09-23T14:43:25Z")
Do pole vaulters ever miss the slot they place the pole in.? ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pole-vault-pole-breaking/373752/8 "2006-09-23T15:57:38Z")
Uh huh huh huh. Huh huh huh huh huh. ---
**Author:** ![Frosted\_Glass](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frosted_glass/32/3926_2.png) [@Frosted\_Glass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frosted_Glass)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pole-vault-pole-breaking/373752/9 "2006-09-24T04:53:11Z")
[QUOTE=gonzomax] Do pole vaulters ever miss the slot they place the pole in.? [/QUOTE] It happens, but its usually not as big of a deal as you would think. The two or three times that I have missed the box (in practice), I was able to finish my attempt without any real complications. It is a rare occurrence.