The year 2024 marked a significant milestone for the pole vault community, characterized by thrilling competitions and record-breaking achievements. At the National Pole Vault Summit, Sandi Morris emerged as the champion with a winning leap of 4.82-meters (15’9.75”). This coincided with record attendance and a notable increase in beginner vaulters, signaling a vibrant future for the sport.

KC Lightfoot set the tone early in the year with a stunning 6-meter (19’8.25”) jump at Northwest Missouri State University, setting high expectations for the upcoming season. Roberta Bruni also made headlines by establishing an indoor Italian national record with a vault of 4.65-meters (15’3”), showcasing her timely preparation in the Olympic year.

The Indoor World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland proved to be a highlight, where Mondo Duplantis captured gold with a clutch 6.05-meter (19’10”) vault. Emmanouil Karalis secured silver with a personal best of 5.85-meters (19’2.25”), solidifying his position among the world’s elite.

The NCAA season was dominated by Keaton Daniel, who claimed both indoor and outdoor championships with vaults of 5.70-meters (18’8.25”) and 5.67-meters (18’7.25”), respectively, while Riley Felts shone as the runner-up in both events with 4.50-meters (14’9”) and 4.55-meters (14’11”), respectively.

Internationally, Mondo continued to break records, achieving a new world record of 6.24-meters (20’5.5”) at the opening outdoor meet in Xiamen, China, and winning the European Championships in Rome, Italy with a 6.10-meter (20’0”) jump, where Emmanouil took silver at 5.87 meters (19’3”). Angelica Moser soared in the outdoor season with a win at the European Championship and then jumped 10 centimeters over her personal best to set a new Swiss national record of 4.88-meters (16’0”) at the Monaco Diamond League. The series of impressive international marks set the stage for the 33^rd Olympiad.

The Paris Olympic Games showcased the pinnacle of pole vault talent, with Mondo winning gold while setting a new Olympic and world record of 6.25 meters (20’6”). Emmanouil secured a bronze medal with a vault of 5.90 meters (19’4.25”), and Nina Kennedy claimed gold in the women’s competition with a jump of 4.90 meters (16’0.75”). Amalie Svabikova solidified herself among the top 5 in the world with a Czech national record of 4.80 meters (15’9”). The Spirit of competition was palpable, with 63% of male Olympian vaulters and 44% of female Olympian vaulters using UCS/Spirit poles and representing their countries with pride.  In addition, the gold, silver, and bronze medalists in the decathlon Markus Rooth, Leo Neugebauer, and Lindon Victor, respectively, trusted Spirit poles to secure valuable points necessary to make the podium.

Following the Olympic games, came the Diamond League in Silesia. This was a noteworthy meet because Mondo further solidified his legacy by setting another world record of 6.26 meters (20’6.5”), and, for the first time in history, three athletes cleared 6 meters (19’8.25”) in a single event. One of these 6-meter vaults was achieved by Emmanouil, who set a new Greek national record. Menno Vloon closed out the season strong with a new Dutch national record of 5.92-meters(19’5”) at ISTAF Berlin.

With inspiring performances and growing participation, 2024 was a transformative year for pole vault, heralding a bright future for the sport.