Vaulting to new heights
(a) Today's pole-vaulters
perform a complex gymnastic
manoeuvre to propel themselves
over the bar feet first. Modern
carbon-fibre or glass-fibre poles
are strong yet flexible enough
to allow this
technique to be used. (b)
Winning heights in the men's
pole-vault at the Olympic
games from 1896 to 1996.
The replacement of old-style bamboo
poles with more flexible glass-fibre
poles in the early 1960s led to
a dramatic improvement
in winning heights. (c)
A cross-section of a carbon-fibre
pole.