The Top 4 Greatest Pole Vaulters of All-Time

Inspiring to watch and super risky to take part in, pole vaulting is one of the most intriguing sports out there!

It takes a lot of practice to become a skilled pole vaulter. But who are THE greatest pole vaulters of all-time? Read on to find out!

Pole vaulting is filled with excitement and enriched with unbelievably talented sportspeople who keep it thrilling for viewers. Considered an extreme and high-risk sport due to the heights involved, pole vaulting is truly inspiring to witness.

While the sport has seen improvements in safety measures and equipment over the years, there are still inherent risks involved. Unfortunately, there have been instances of severe injuries and even a double-digit number of fatalities.

These risks stem from factors such as falling from heights, pole breaking, equipment malfunctions, hazards on the runway and even technical errors in timing, grip, plant or swing.

Precise techniques and coordination are vital when participating in this sport – and only a relatively small number of people can claim they have truly mastered the art of the pole vault. 

But who are these brave and talented souls? Here is a list of the best pole vaulters of all-time.

4. Thiago Braz da Silva

Career Highlight Stats

• He won gold at the 2016 Olympics

• He set a new Olympic record of 6.03m in 2016

• He won bronze at the 2020 Olympics

Thiago Braz da Silva is a remarkable athlete from Brazil. He made history at the 2016 Olympics when he won the gold medal.

Braz’s journey in pole vaulting began in his early teenage years. He started practising the sport at the age of 14 under the guidance of coach Elson Miranda.

Braz quickly displayed natural talent and dedication, showing promise as he progressed in his training, developed his skills and gained attention on an international level.

He first competed in 2010 at the Youth Olympics and took home the silver medal. He then participated in the 2012 IAAF World Junior Championships, where he won a bronze medal at the age of 18.

Yet, his moment to shine came in the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. Competing in front of his home crowd, he produced a sensational performance.

In the final, Braz cleared 6.03m (19ft 9¼in) on his third attempt, securing the gold medal and becoming the first Brazilian to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics since 1984.

His winning jump of 6.03m also set a new Olympic record, surpassing the previous mark held by Renaud Lavillenie.

Since then, he has also competed in the 2020 Olympic Games, where he came third and won bronze.

Even though he doesn’t have many international championships under his belt like the rest on our list, he is a star on the rise – and his ongoing pole vaulting career is definitely worth following.

3. Sergey Bubka

Career Highlight Stats

• He was originally a track-and-field athlete, before he found pole vaulting

• He was the first pole vaulter to clear 6.0m

• He won an Olympic gold medal

Largely considered the greatest pole vaulter of all-time, Sergey Bubka is a Ukrainian who has practically revolutionised the sport with his historic records.

Born in Luhansk, current Ukraine, formerly the Soviet Union, Sergey originally became a track-and-field athlete in the 100m dash and the long jump. He represented the Soviet Union until the dissolution of the USSR, and then his homeland, Ukraine.

However, it wasn’t until he switched to pole vault that he became internationally known overnight. And for good reason!

He managed to win the world championship in Finland back in 1983, seemingly out of nowhere, and the very next year set up his first world record by clearing a 5.85m (19ft 2in) jump. 

This was just the beginning of an incredibly remarkable career that ended with six consecutive IAAF World Championships and an Olympic gold medal.

Sergey Bubka achieved many pole vaulting records, including:

• First pole vaulter to clear 6.0m and 6.10m

• Indoor world record of 6.15m in 1993 – he held that record for 21 years until Renauld Lavillenie cleared 6.16m in 2014 at the same meet and arena as Bubka

• He broke the world record for men’s pole vault 35 times

Bubka owes much of his success to his admirable partnership with coach Vitali Petrov, who supported him throughout his career.

He helped Sergey develop a unique technique that was never seen before – and since then, he’s been the inspiration for many of today’s pole-vaulting hybrid techniques.

Unlike most pole vaulters who focus on harnessing the energy loaded into the pole at takeoff by tucking and shooting, Petrov and Bubka instead chose to focus on adding energy to the pole by swinging their legs as they reached the vertical stage of the vault.

This made a big difference to Bubka’s style and results, as by pushing the pole upwards and emphasising this part, he continued to add energy to the pole as he approached the bar. This helped him reach remarkable heights.

Bubka continued to support sports even after his pole vaulting career was over. He became the Senior Vice President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and an Honorary Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

2. Renaud Lavillenie

Career Highlight Stats

• He has two Olympic medals (one gold and one silver)

• In 2014, he broke the pole vault world record at 6.16m

• He has two silver and four bronze medals at the World Championships

The French pole vaulter has absolutely dominated the sport – and he has become a pole-vaulting legend.

Lavillenie was born into a family of pole vaulters; his father and younger brother were also both pole vaulters, and he made his debut at his first pole vault competition at the age of 17.

He has had one of the most successful careers in pole vaulting, including:

• Two Olympic medals (one gold and one silver)

• Two silver and four bronze medals at the World Championships

• Three-time champion in the World Indoor Championships and European Championships

• Four-time champion in the European Indoor Championships

• Silver and gold at the Continental Cup

As far as breaking records goes, he successfully broke Jean Galfione’s 10-year-old French national outdoor pole vault record with his 6.01m mark in 2009.

He’s won three consecutive European Indoor Championships gold medals. However, his biggest achievement occurred in 2014, when he broke the world record in Donetsk, Ukraine, with a height of 6.16m (20ft 2½in). This made him a legend in France!

Although he competed in the 2016 Olympics in Rio – and he was the fan favourite for gold – his record of 5.98m actually got him silver. He was outmatched by Thiago Braz da Silva, who took home gold.

Nonetheless, his career is far from over – and we are sure to see even greater achievements from this athlete.

1. Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis

• He won a gold medal at the 2020 Olympics

• He won a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics

• He holds 14 world records and three world titles

Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis is a Swedish-American pole vault superstar! He won gold at both the 2020 and 2024 Olympics – and he currently holds 14 world records and three world titles.

Armand was born into an athletic family, as his father was a pole vaulter with a personal best of 5.80m. His mother was also a heptathlete and volleyball player. Sports seem to run in the family, as his brothers and sisters have also enjoyed sporting success.

Duplantis stands out, however, as he started competing at a young age. He first tried pole vaulting at just three years old in his family home in Lafayette, Louisiana – and he instantly liked the sport.

He set his first age-group world best at the age of seven when he jumped 3.86m as a 10-year-old. This beat the records for his age, as well as for ages 11 and 12.

Since then, he has continued to set records. This includes winning gold at the 2015 World Youth Championship at the age of 15.

The next year, he set up a new age-16 world best, world indoor youth best and national high school indoor record. He was the first high school athlete to vault 18ft indoors. He also won the European Junior Championships in 2017 and 2018.

As an adult, he has absolutely dominated the pole vaulting world! He won the Diamond League golds for both 2021 and 2022, then the World Championship in 2022, the European Indoor Championship in 2021 and the World Indoor Championship in 2022.

In 2023, Mondo broke the world record at the All-Star Perche indoor meeting in Clermont-Ferrand, France, soaring clear at 6.22m (20ft 5in).

He’s managed to beat his own records three times. In 2022, he beat his own world record by jumping 6.19m (20ft 3+1⁄2in) at the Belgrade Indoor Meeting.

Just a few months later, in July, he broke his own world record again, with a remarkable jump of 6.21m (20ft 4+1⁄2in) at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

In 2025, Duplantis broke his own record at the 2025 World Athletics Championships. He jumped over the bar at a whopping 6.30m. This is his 14th world record and third world title.

His career is still on the rise, and we are so excited to see what he will do next!

Do you follow these pole-vaulting stars? Who are the greatest pole vaulters of all-time? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!