# Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Men's pole vault

The men's pole vault event at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California had an entry list of 19 competitors from 13 nations, with two qualifying groups (19 jumpers) before the final (12) took place on Wednesday August 8, 1984. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by Pierre Quinon of France, the nation's first medal in the men's pole vault. France also took one of the two bronze medals after Thierry Vigneron tied with Earl Bell of the United States for third. Mike Tully, also American, earned silver. Bell and Tully continued the American streak of podium appearances in the event every time the United States competed.

## Background

This was the 20th appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. The returning finalists from the 1980 Games were seventh-place finisher Thierry Vigneron of France and tenth-place finisher Miro Zalar of Sweden. Earl Bell of the United States, who had been a finalist in 1976 but was kept out of the Moscow Games by the boycott, also returned. Poland and the Soviet Union had become powers in the event in the late 1970s and early 1980s; the Soviet-led boycott kept out significant competitors including the world champion and world record holder Sergey Bubka. The United States had dominated the event through 1968 and still maintained perennially contending teams; Bell and Mike Tully were among the favorites. France also had a strong team and was the only nation of the four to compete in both 1980 and 1984; Vigneron's finish in Moscow had been disappointing, and he sought a better result in Los Angeles along with teammate Pierre Quinon.
The People's Republic of China and the Virgin Islands each made their men's pole vaulting debut. The United States made its 19th appearance, most of any nation, having missed only the boycotted 1980 Games.

## Competition format

The competition used the two-round format introduced in 1912, with results cleared between rounds. Vaulters received three attempts at each height. Ties were broken by the countback rule. At the time, total attempts was used after total misses.
In the qualifying round, the bar was set at 5.10 metres, 5.20 metres, 5.30 metres, 5.35 metres, 5.40 metres, and 5.45 metres. All vaulters clearing 5.45 metres advanced to the final. If fewer than 12 cleared that height, the top 12 (including ties) advanced.
In the final, the bar was set at 5.10 metres, 5.20 metres, 5.30 metres, 5.40 metres, and then increased by 5 centimetres as a time.

## Records

Prior to the competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.
| World record | Sergey Bubka (URS) | 5.90 | London, United Kingdom | 13 July 1984 |
| Olympic record | Władysław Kozakiewicz (POL) | 5.78 | Moscow, Soviet Union | 30 July 1980 |
No new world or Olympic records were set during the competition. The following national records were established during the competition:
| Nation | Athlete | Round | Time |
| Virgin Islands | Brian Morrissette | Qualifying | 5.20 |

## Schedule

All times are Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7)
| Date | Time | Round |
| Monday, 6 August 1984 | 9:30 | Qualifying |
| Wednesday, 8 August 1984 | 16:10 | Final |

## Results

Key
* o = Height cleared
* x = Height failed
* – = Height passed
* r = Retired
* SB = Season's best
* PB = Personal best
* NR = National record
* AR = Area record
* OR = Olympic record
* WR = World record
* WL = World lead
* NM = No mark
* DNS = Did not start
* DQ = Disqualified

### Qualifying round

The qualifying round was held on Monday August 6, 1984. Qualification rule: Qualifying performance 5.45 (Q) or at least 12 best performers (q) advance to the final.
| Rank | Group | Athlete | Nation | 5.10 | 5.20 | 5.30 | 5.35 | 5.40 | 5.45 | Height | Notes |
| 1 | A | Thierry Vigneron | France | – | – | – | o | – | o | 5.45 | Q |
| 1 | A | Earl Bell | United States | – | – | – | o | – | o | 5.45 | Q |
| 1 | A | Mike Tully | United States | – | – | – | o | – | o | 5.45 | Q |
| 4 | A | Alberto Ruiz | Spain | xo | – | xo | – | xo | xxo | 5.45 | Q |
| 5 | A | Pierre Quinon | France | – | – | xo | – | o | – | 5.40 | q |
| 6 | B | Kimmo Pallonen | Finland | – | o | o | xo | xo | – | 5.40 | q |
| 7 | A | Felix Böhni | Switzerland | – | – | o | – | xxo | xxx | 5.40 | q |
| 8 | A | Tom Hintnaus | Brazil | – | – | – | o | – | xxx | 5.35 | q |
| 9 | B | Mauro Barella | Italy | o | o | xo | xxo | – | – | 5.35 | q |
| 10 | A | Serge Ferreira | France | – | – | o | – | xxx | — | 5.30 | q |
| 10 | A | Doug Lytle | United States | – | – | o | xxx | — | — | 5.30 | q |
| 10 | B | Yang Weimin | China | o | o | o | – | xxx | — | 5.30 | q |
| 10 | B | Jeff Gutteridge | Great Britain | o | – | o | xxx | — | — | 5.30 | q |
| 10 | B | Tomomi Takahashi | Japan | – | – | xxo | – | xxx | — | 5.30 | q |
| 15 | B | Brian Morrissette | Virgin Islands | o | o | x– | xx | — | — | 5.20 | NR |
| 16 | B | Keith Stock | Great Britain | xo | xo | xxx | — | — | — | 5.20 | |
| 17 | B | Ji Zebiao | China | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | 5.10 | |
| 18 | B | Edgardo Rivera | Puerto Rico | xxo | – | x– | xx | — | — | 5.10 | |
| — | A | Miro Zalar | Sweden | – | – | xxx | — | — | — | No mark | |
| — | B | Alfonso Cano | Spain | DNS | DNS | DNS | DNS | DNS | DNS | DNS | |

### Final

The final was held on Wednesday August 8, 1984.
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | 5.10 | 5.20 | 5.30 | 5.40 | 5.45 | 5.50 | 5.55 | 5.60 | 5.65 | 5.70 | 5.75 | 5.80 | Height |
| | Pierre Quinon | France | – | – | – | – | xo | – | – | – | x– | o | o | xxx | 5.75 |
| | Mike Tully | United States | – | – | – | – | o | – | o | – | xxo | – | – | xxx | 5.65 |
| | Earl Bell | United States | – | – | – | o | – | o | – | o | – | xxx | — | — | 5.60 |
| | Thierry Vigneron | France | – | – | – | o | – | – | – | o | – | xxx | — | — | 5.60 |
| 5 | Kimmo Pallonen | Finland | – | – | xo | – | xo | – | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | 5.45 |
| 6 | Doug Lytle | United States | – | – | – | o | – | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5.40 |
| 7 | Felix Böhni | Switzerland | – | – | o | – | – | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5.30 |
| 8 | Mauro Barella | Italy | xxo | – | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5.30 |
| 9 | Alberto Ruiz | Spain | – | o | – | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5.20 |
| 10 | Yang Weimin | China | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5.10 |
| 11 | Jeff Gutteridge | Great Britain | xxo | – | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5.10 |
| — | Tom Hintnaus | Brazil | – | – | – | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | No mark |
| — | Serge Ferreira | France | – | – | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | No mark |
| — | Tomomi Takahashi | Japan | – | – | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | No mark |