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Pole vaulters can be different heights. Being taller is usually seen as an advantage, however the technique and athletic components to complete the pole vault are more important.
To vault higher, you must be able to do the following.
- Have good speed and acceleration with the pole.
- Have the upper body strength to hold the pole and execute the technique that will catapult you over the bar.
- Have good technique to launch you over the bar.
Some of the world’s best pole vaulters had varying heights.
| Athlete (Men) | Height | Pole Vault personal best |
| Renaud Lavillenie | 1.76 m | 6.16 m |
| Sergey Bubka | 1.83 m | 6.15 m |
| Dmitry Markov | 1.82 m | 6.05 m |
| Athlete (Women) | ||
| Yelena Isinbayeva | 1.74 m | 5.06 m |
| Jennifer Suhr | 1.83 m | 5.03 m |
| Yarisley Silva | 1.61 m | 4.91 m |
You can see from the table that the vaulters are different heights. Both world record holders are under 6 feet in height (1.80m), so it shows that the athletic development is more important than the athlete’s height.
Want to become a great pole vaulter?
Learn the steps that it takes to become a world class pole vaulter from the very beginning.