Even 53 years later, David Butler remembers the feeling of executing his first pole vault for New Haven High School. “I jumped 6 feet,” Butler said. “Now, 6 feet is not very high. But I thought it was ...

Pole vaulting is one of the more outlandish Olympic events. The primary instruments of the sport are curious creations—big sticks, between 10 and 17 feet in length, that certain track & field ...