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1980 Olympic Games Moscow - Men's Pole vault

 

 

Host City: Moskva, Soviet Union Format: Top 12 and ties and all those clearing 5.40 metres advanced to the final.
Date Started: July 28, 1980  
Date Finished: July 30, 1980  
(Competitors: 19; Countries: 10; Finalists: 12)  
    Venue(s): Grand Arena, Central Lenin Stadium Area, Moskva
Overview by IAAF   1980_olympic_stadium.jpg 
The pole vault, the most frequently beaten field event world record, was improved by three vaulters in 1980 before Moscow; Kozakiewicz (5.72), Vigneron (5.75) and Houvion (5.77). All three safely qualified for the final, though Montreal’s silver medallist Kalliomäki was eliminated after failing his opening height. Houvion and Klimczyk had failures at early heights in the final, and Vigneron had an off-day, missing at 5.55. None of the top six missed at 5.50, 5.55 or 5.60, though four passed 5.60 after clearing the preceding height. Kozakiewicz was the only man to clear 5.65 first time, with Volkov, the – 1979 number one – clearing only on his final jump to tie Ślusarski for silver. Kozakiewicz was faultless at 5.70 – to the disap- pointment of the booing, ill-mannered crowd – and set a lifetime best of 5.75, before missing first time at 5.78. On his second attempt he brushed the bar, but it stayed on, for a new world record. Kozakiewicz celebrated by gesturing to the crowd to let them know his opinion of them, and then had three misses at 5.82, one of them very close.
       
Summary by Sports-reference.com      
In 1980 the world record had been broken by Władysław Kozakiewicz (POL), and Frenchman Thierry Vigneron (twice), and Philippe Houvion. Missing were top American vaulters Mike Tully and Tom Hintnaus. Tadeusz Ślusarski, the defending champion was back, and also highly considered was Soviet favorite Konstantin Volkov. Vigneron struggled in the final, clearing only 5.45 (17-10½) and placing seventh. Four vaulters went over 5.65 (18-6½) – Kozakiewicz, Ślusarski, Volkov, and Houvion, with only Kozakiewicz clearing on his first attempt. Koza also cleared 5.70 (18-8¼), which won the competition, as everybody else would fail at that height. His clearance resulted in booing from the boorish Soviet crowd, who were rooting for Volkov. Kozakiewicz continued on, going over 5.75 (18-10¼) and a world record 5.78 (18-11½) on his second attempt. He celebrated by using a well-known gesture, telling the Soviet crowd where they could shove it. He also attempted 5.82 (19-1) and had one close miss.
 
 
        Results        

Throughout the event, home town fans were cheering for Konstantin Volkov, while booing, whistling and jeering at the Poles Tadeusz Ślusarski and Władysław Kozakiewicz. There were even accusations that the Soviet facility management were opening and closing giant doors to the stadium to change the wind pattern against opposing vaulters.

When Kozakiewicz secured his gold medal position, Kozakiewicz made the Bras d'honneur gesture which became known as "Kozakiewicz's gesture" (gest Kozakiewicza).[2] in defiance to the Soviet crowd. He later confirmed his dominance over the competition by breaking the world record, clearing at 5.78 meters.

The photos of this incident circled the globe, with the exception of the Soviet Union and its satellites, although the event was broadcast live on TV in many countries of the Bloc. While international observers varied in their reaction[citation needed] to the incident, Kozakiewicz's act received much support in Polish society, which resented Soviet control over Eastern Europe (Poland was in the midst of labor strikes that led to the creation of the labor union Solidarity less than two months later). After the 1980 Olympics ended, the Soviet ambassador to Poland demanded that Kozakiewicz be stripped of his medal over his "insult to the Soviet people".[3] The official response of the Polish government was that Kozakiewicz's arm gesture had been an involuntary muscle spasm caused by his exertion.

Pole vault Men     Final 30 July      
                 
Rank Mark     Athlete Country NOC Birth Date Records
1 5.78     Władysław Kozakiewicz Poland POL 8 Dec 53 WR
2 5.65     Tadeusz Slusarski Poland POL 19 May 50  
2 5.65     Konstantin Volkov Soviet Union URS 28 Feb 60  
4 5.65     Philippe Houvion France FRA 5 Jan 57  
5 5.60     Jean-Michel Bellot France FRA 16 Dec 53  
6 5.55     Mariusz Klimczyk Poland POL 16 Sep 56  
7 5.45     Thierry Vigneron France FRA 9 Mar 60  
8 5.45     Sergey Kulibaba Soviet Union URS 24 Jul 59  
9 5.45     Tapani Haapakoski Finland FIN 14 Jun 53  
10 5.35     Miro Zalar Sweden SWE 24 Mar 57  
11 5.35     Brian Hooper Great Britain GBR 18 May 53  
12 5.25     Rauli Pudas Finland FIN 13 Sep 54  
Pole vault Men     Qualification 28 July      
                 
Rank Mark     Athlete Country NOC Birth Date Records
1 5.40     Mariusz Klimczyk Poland POL 16 Sep 56  
1 5.40     Tadeusz Slusarski Poland POL 19 May 50  
3 5.40     Jean-Michel Bellot France FRA 16 Dec 53  
4 5.40     Thierry Vigneron France FRA 9 Mar 60  
5 5.40     Władysław Kozakiewicz Poland POL 8 Dec 53  
6 5.40     Tapani Haapakoski Finland FIN 14 Jun 53  
6 5.40     Miro Zalar Sweden SWE 24 Mar 57  
8 5.35     Rauli Pudas Finland FIN 13 Sep 54  
8 5.35     Konstantin Volkov Soviet Union URS 28 Feb 60  
10 5.35     Sergey Kulibaba Soviet Union URS 24 Jul 59  
10 5.35     Brian Hooper Great Britain GBR 18 May 53  
12 5.35     Philippe Houvion France FRA 5 Jan 57  
13 5.25     Atanas Tarev Bulgaria BUL 31 Jan 58  
14 5.15     Felix Böhni Switzerland SUI 14 Feb 58  
15 5.15     Axel Weber Germany GER 19 May 54  
  NH     Patrick Desruelles Belgium BEL 24 Apr 57  
  NH     Ivo Yanchev Bulgaria BUL 5 Sep 60  
 
Detailed View
 Men Pole Vault Olympic Games Moscow 1980 - Wednesday 30.07
Final Team Height 515 525 535 545 550 555 560 565 570 575 578 582
1. Wladyslaw Kozakiewicz POL 5.78m     O   O   O O O O XO XXX
2. Konstantin Volkov URS 5.65m     O     O   XXO XX- X
3. Tadeusz Slusarski POL 5.65m     O     O   XXO XXX
4. Philippe Houvion FRA 5.65m   XO   XO   O   XXO XXX
5. Jean-Michel Bellot FRA 5.60m     O   O   O XXX
6. Mariusz Klimczyk POL 5.55m   O   XO   O   XXX
7. Thierry Vigneron FRA 5.45m   O   O   XXX
8. Sergei Kulibaba URS 5.45m   XO   O   XXX
9. Tapani Haapakoski FIN 5.45m   XO   XO   XXX
10.Kazimir Zalar SWE 5.35m   O O XX- X
11.Brian Hooper GBR 5.35m O O XXO XXX
12.Rauli Pudas FIN 5.25m   O   XXX
Qualification Monday 28.07
Group A Team Height 515 525 235 540
1. Tadeusz Slusarski POL 5.40m   XO   O
2. Jean-Michel Bellot FRA 5.40m   O XO O
3. Thierry Vigneron FRA 5.40m XO XO XO O
4. Wladyslaw Kozakiewicz POL 5.40m   O   XO
5. Konstantin Volkov URS 5.35m   O O  
6. Sergei Kulibaba URS 5.35m   XO XO  
7. Philippe Houvion FRA 5.35m O XXO XO X
8. Felix Bohni SUI 5.15m O XXX
-. Antti Kalliomaki FIN NM     XXX O
-. Yuri Prokhorenko URS NM     XXX O
Group B Team Height 515 525 235 540
1. Mariusz Klimczyk POL 5.40m   XO   O
2. Kazimir Zalar SWE 5.40m O O O XO
3. Tapani Haapakoski FIN 5.40m   O XO XO
4. Rauli Pudas FIN 5.35m   O O XXX
5. Brian Hooper GBR 5.35m O O XO XXX
6. Atanas Tarev BUL 5.25m   XO XXX
7. Axel Weber GDR 5.15m XO XXX
-. Patrick Desruelles BEL NM XXX
-. Ivo Yanchev BUL NM XXX
 
 
 

 

 

 

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