Pole vaulting was known to the ancient Greeks and the Cretans used long poles to vault over bulls. The Celts used to pole vault - but for length. This event became a vertical jump in Germany around 1775, during gymnastics competitions. 1850 saw the first competition of "running pole leaping". The heavy, rigid poles were made of ash and the athletes climbed them as they jumped. In 1889, the Americans banned the movement of the hands along the pole and invented the technique of reversing the legs upwards, clearing the crossbar with stomach facing down. In 1900 lightweight bamboo poles were used for the first time, remaining in use until 1942, and the receiving 'box' for the pole was also introduced. In 1957 Bob Gutowski used an aluminum pole to set a world record of 4.78m which was broken again in 1957 by Don Bragg (USA) who used a steel pole to clear 4.80m. This period also saw the introduction of landing mattresses which meant improved safety for competitors. The fiberglass pole, which permitted flexion and has revolutionized vaulting technique, saw the light in the USA in 1956. The first world record using this material was set in 1961. Although women’s pole vault performances have been registered since 1911, the event has only been taken seriously - with the Chinese in the vanguard - in the last few years.

        The IAAF began ratifying women's world records in 1995 and the first official international championship was staged at the 1996 European Indoor Championships with Vala Flosadottir (17) of Iceland the winner at 4.16m. The event will be held at the 1997 World Indoor Championships and 1999 World Championships.