| | Event type

Pole Vault, Men

Date	14 – 16 October 1968
Status	Olympic
Location	Estadio Olímpico Universitario, Ciudad de México
Participants	23 from 15 countries

As in 1964 the competition came down to an American and several Germans. The American favorites were Bob Seagren and John Pennel, with Seagren considered the better. Both had set multiple world records. Six jumpers were still alive after 5.30 (17-4½) – Seagren, Pennel, Klaus Schiprowski (FRG), Wolfgang Nordwig (GDR), Khristos Papanikolaou (GRE), and Gennady Bliznetsov (URS). Bliznetsov missed at 5.35 (17-6½), and Seagren passed at that height. His pass was considered unusual and he later commented that it was his unfamiliarity with the metric system, as he did not realize that 5.35 was 17-6½, which was still a big height in that era. At 5.40 (17-8½), Pennel cleared on his second effort but his pole passed under the uprights, which was illegal in that era (the rule was changed the next year), and he would settle for 5.35 (17-6½) and fifth place. Seagren, Schiprowski and Nordwig all cleared 5.40 (17-8½), Seagren and Schiprowski on the second effort, Nordwig missing twice. When all three missed at 5.45 (17-10½), that gave Seagren the gold medal over Schiprowski based on fewer overall misses, with Nordwig getting bronze because of his three misses at 5.40 (17-8½).

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Qualifying	Final
1	302	Bob Seagren	USA	4.90 (13)	5.40 (1)	Gold	OR
2	45	Claus Schiprowski	FRG	4.90 (=3)	5.40 (2)	Silver	OR
3	80	Wolfgang Nordwig	GDR	4.90 (=1)	5.40 (3)	Bronze	OR
4	439	Christos Papanikolaou	GRE	4.90 (=3)	5.35 (4)		OR
5	296	John Pennel	USA	4.90 (=1)	5.35 (5)		OR
6	797	Gennady Bliznetsov	URS	4.90 (=3)	5.30 (6)		OR
7	354	Hervé d'Encausse	FRA	4.90 (=3)	5.25 (7)		OR
8	10	Heinfried Engel	FRG	4.90 (15)	5.20 (8)		OR
9	252	Ignacio Sola	ESP	4.90 (=9)	5.20 (9)		OR
10	732	Kjell Isaksson	SWE	4.90 (14)	5.15 (10)		OR
11	549	Kiyoshi Niwa	JPN	4.90 (=9)	5.15 (11)		OR
12	815	Aleksandr Malyutin	URS	4.90 (12)	5.00 (12)
13	392	Mike Bull	GBR	4.90 (=9)	5.00 (13)
14	334	Altti Alarotu	FIN	4.90 (=3)	5.00 (14)
AC r2/2	337	Erkki Mustakari	FIN	4.90 (=3)	– (NH)
16 r1/2	438	Pantelis Nikolaidis	GRE	4.80 (16)	–
17 r1/2	96	Érico Barney	ARG	4.80 (17)	–
18 r1/2	27	Klaus Lehnertz	FRG	4.75 (18)	–
19 r1/2	724	John-Erik Blomqvist	SWE	4.75 (19)	–
20 r1/2	261	Casey Carrigan	USA	4.60 (20)	–
21 r1/2	767	Wu Ah-Min	TPE	4.50 (21)	–
22 r1/2	759	Heinz Wyss	SUI	4.50 (22)	–
AC r1/2	121	Ingo Peyker	AUT	– (NH)	–
DNS	519	Aldo Righi	ITA	– (DNS)	–
DNS	232	Steen Smidt-Jensen	DEN	– (DNS)	–
DNS	504	Renato Dionisi	ITA	– (DNS)	–
DNS	582	Dominique Rakotorahalahy	MAD	– (DNS)	–

Qualifying Round

Date	14 October 1968 — 10:00
Format	Top 12 and ties and all those clearing 4.90 metres advanced to the final.

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Best Height Cleared	Misses at Best Height Cleared	Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared	Total Attempts thru Best Height Cleared
=1	Wolfgang Nordwig	GDR	4.90	0	0	1	Q
=1	John Pennel	USA	4.90	0	0	1	Q
=3	Altti Alarotu	FIN	4.90	0	0	2	Q
=3	Erkki Mustakari	FIN	4.90	0	0	2	Q
=3	Hervé d'Encausse	FRA	4.90	0	0	2	Q
=3	Claus Schiprowski	FRG	4.90	0	0	2	Q
=3	Christos Papanikolaou	GRE	4.90	0	0	2	Q
=3	Gennady Bliznetsov	URS	4.90	0	0	2	Q
=9	Ignacio Sola	ESP	4.90	0	0	3	Q
=9	Mike Bull	GBR	4.90	0	0	3	Q
=9	Kiyoshi Niwa	JPN	4.90	0	0	3	Q
12	Aleksandr Malyutin	URS	4.90	0	4	9	Q
13	Bob Seagren	USA	4.90	1	1	2	Q
14	Kjell Isaksson	SWE	4.90	1	1	3	Q
15	Heinfried Engel	FRG	4.90	2	2	5	Q
16	Pantelis Nikolaidis	GRE	4.80	0	0	3
17	Érico Barney	ARG	4.80	0	3	9
18	Klaus Lehnertz	FRG	4.75	0	0	3
19	John-Erik Blomqvist	SWE	4.75	2	2	4
20	Casey Carrigan	USA	4.60	0	0	1
21	Wu Ah-Min	TPE	4.50	0	0	3
22	Heinz Wyss	SUI	4.50	0	1	3
NH	Ingo Peyker	AUT	–	–	–	–
DNS	Renato Dionisi	ITA	–	–	–	–
DNS	Aldo Righi	ITA	–	–	–	–
DNS	Steen Smidt-Jensen	DEN	–	–	–	–
DNS	Dominique Rakotorahalahy	MAD	–	–	–	–

Group A

Date	14 October 1968

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Best Height Cleared	Misses at Best Height Cleared	Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared	Total Attempts thru Best Height Cleared	Attempts at 4.20 m	Attempts at 4.30 m	Attempts at 4.40 m	Attempts at 4.50 m	Attempts at 4.60 m	Attempts at 4.70 m	Attempts at 4.75 m	Attempts at 4.80 m	Attempts at 4.85 m	Attempts at 4.90 m
=1	80	Wolfgang Nordwig	GDR	4.90	0	0	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	o
=1	296	John Pennel	USA	4.90	0	0	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	o
=3	334	Altti Alarotu	FIN	4.90	0	0	2	-	-	-	-	-	o	-	-	-	o
=3	337	Erkki Mustakari	FIN	4.90	0	0	2	-	-	-	-	o	-	-	-	-	o
=3	354	Hervé d'Encausse	FRA	4.90	0	0	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	o	-	o
=3	45	Claus Schiprowski	FRG	4.90	0	0	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	o	-	o
=3	439	Christos Papanikolaou	GRE	4.90	0	0	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	o	-	o
=3	797	Gennady Bliznetsov	URS	4.90	0	0	2	-	-	-	-	o	-	-	-	-	o
9	302	Bob Seagren	USA	4.90	1	1	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	xo
10	732	Kjell Isaksson	SWE	4.90	1	1	3	-	-	-	-	-	o	-	-	-	xo
11	10	Heinfried Engel	FRG	4.90	2	2	5	-	-	-	-	o	-	-	o	-	xxo
12	261	Casey Carrigan	USA	4.60	0	0	1	-	-	-	-	o	-	-	-	-	xxx
DNS	504	Renato Dionisi	ITA	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Group B

Date	14 October 1968

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Best Height Cleared	Misses at Best Height Cleared	Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared	Total Attempts thru Best Height Cleared	Attempts at 4.20 m	Attempts at 4.30 m	Attempts at 4.40 m	Attempts at 4.50 m	Attempts at 4.60 m	Attempts at 4.70 m	Attempts at 4.75 m	Attempts at 4.80 m	Attempts at 4.85 m	Attempts at 4.90 m
=1	252	Ignacio Sola	ESP	4.90	0	0	3	-	-	-	-	o	-	-	o	-	o
=1	392	Mike Bull	GBR	4.90	0	0	3	-	-	-	-	o	-	-	o	-	o
=1	549	Kiyoshi Niwa	JPN	4.90	0	0	3	-	-	-	-	o	-	-	o	-	o
4	815	Aleksandr Malyutin	URS	4.90	0	4	9	-	-	xxo	o	-	o	-	xxo	-	o
5	438	Pantelis Nikolaidis	GRE	4.80	0	0	3	-	-	o	-	o	-	-	o	-	xxx
6	96	Érico Barney	ARG	4.80	0	3	9	o	o	-	xo	o	xxo	-	o	-	xxx
7	27	Klaus Lehnertz	FRG	4.75	0	0	3	-	-	o	-	o	-	o	-	xxx	–
8	724	John-Erik Blomqvist	SWE	4.75	2	2	4	-	-	-	-	o	-	xxo	-	-	xxx
9	767	Wu Ah-Min	TPE	4.50	0	0	3	o	o	-	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
10	759	Heinz Wyss	SUI	4.50	0	1	3	-	xo	-	o	-	–	–	–	–	–
NH	121	Ingo Peyker	AUT	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
DNS	519	Aldo Righi	ITA	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
DNS	232	Steen Smidt-Jensen	DEN	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
DNS	582	Dominique Rakotorahalahy	MAD	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Final Round

Date	16 October 1968 — 12:30

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Best Height Cleared	Misses at Best Height Cleared	Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared	Total Attempts thru Best Height Cleared	Attempts at 4.60 m	Attempts at 4.80 m	Attempts at 4.90 m	Attempts at 5.00 m	Attempts at 5.05 m	Attempts at 5.10 m	Attempts at 5.15 m	Attempts at 5.20 m	Attempts at 5.25 m	Attempts at 5.30 m	Attempts at 5.35 m	Attempts at 5.40 m	Attempts at 5.45 m
1	302	Bob Seagren	USA	5.40	1	2	6	-	-	-	-	o	-	-	xo	-	o	-	xo	xxx	OR
2	45	Claus Schiprowski	FRG	5.40	1	3	11	-	-	o	o	-	o	-	o	xo	o	xo	xo	xxx	OR
3	80	Wolfgang Nordwig	GDR	5.40	2	3	8	-	-	-	xo	-	-	-	o	-	o	o	xxo	xxx	OR
4	439	Christos Papanikolaou	GRE	5.35	0	2	8	-	o	-	o	-	-	o	-	xo	xo	o	xxx	–	OR
5	296	John Pennel	USA	5.35	2	4	8	-	-	-	-	o	-	-	xo	-	xo	xxo	xxx	–	OR
6	797	Gennady Bliznetsov	URS	5.30	1	1	6	o	-	o	-	-	o	-	o	-	xo	xxx	–	–	OR
7	354	Hervé d'Encausse	FRA	5.25	0	1	4	-	-	-	o	-	-	xo	-	o	-	xxx	–	–	OR
8	10	Heinfried Engel	FRG	5.20	0	3	7	-	o	-	xxo	-	xo	-	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	OR
9	252	Ignacio Sola	ESP	5.20	2	4	9	-	xo	-	o	-	xo	o	xxo	xxx	–	–	–	–	OR
10	732	Kjell Isaksson	SWE	5.15	0	1	4	-	-	o	-	xo	-	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–	OR
11	549	Kiyoshi Niwa	JPN	5.15	1	1	6	-	o	o	o	-	o	xo	xxx	–	–	–	–	–	OR
12	815	Aleksandr Malyutin	URS	5.00	0	0	3	o	-	o	o	-	xxx	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
13	392	Mike Bull	GBR	5.00	1	2	5	-	xo	o	xo	-	xxx	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
14	334	Altti Alarotu	FIN	5.00	2	2	3	-	-	-	xxo	-	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
NH	337	Erkki Mustakari	FIN	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–