Oh! I loooooooooooooove the gymnastics uniforms on the Chinese women.

Pole vaulting is such a perfect Olympic sport to watch. I never even have thoughts about it until I see it again four years later. Also, the objective is quite clear, and the skill is done quickly. Perfect Olympic sport. What I want to know, though, is who first thought this up? Who was like, "Oh, my God. I have a GREAT idea! Let's take this really long stick, run really fast at a wall, and use the long stick to fling ourselves over! It'll be awesome! I bet I can beat you at it!"

Wasn't there an Amazing Race challenge where they used poles to vault across a muddy river? Maybe it evolved from something like that?

Wasn't there an Amazing Race challenge where they used poles to vault across a muddy river? Maybe it evolved from something like that?

Possibly, but if just seems so illogical. If I had a long stick or two, I'd be looking into the possibility of bridge-building. Maybe they were inspired by catapults?

I just heard a song I liked on TV, googled the title, went to iTunes and bought it, and then read the lyrics. Dude. Abusive relationship (Fistful of Love by Anthony and the Johnsons). Still sounds nice, but I only heard the love bits on TV.

That'll show you for being both pro-active and efficient.

The origin of the pole vault (via Wikipedia):

Poles were used as a practical means of passing over natural obstacles in places such as the marshy provinces of Friesland in The Netherlands, along the North Sea, and the great level of the Fens of Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk. The artificial draining of these marshes created a network of open drains or canals intersecting each other. In order to cross these without getting wet, while avoiding tedious roundabout journeys over bridges, a stack of jumping poles was kept at every house and used for vaulting over the canals. Pole vaulting has been used by Venetian punters for moving to the shore from their boat. It has continued to be a folklore activity with annual competitions. Fierljeppen or broad-jumping with the pole, though the original form of the sport, has never found its way into global competition, the high jump being the only form recognized.

Egad!

The mere act of choosing a pole can have a significant effect on a vaulter's jump, as a pole that is too elastic will cause the vaulter to penetrate too far into the pit, sometimes flying underneath the bar before achieving maximum height, and a pole that is too stiff can cause the vaulter to be rejected backwards, in extreme cases landing back on the runway or in the box.

I am morbidly fascinated by the image of someone being flung backwards onto the runway. I've never seen that happen.

Still...who was the first dude to figure that out, that it's possible to even do?

who was the first dude to figure that out, that it's possible to even do?

Well, it's an inventive way of using a lever. I can kinda see it. Weird what sticks as a sport though, isn't it?

I got about four hours of sleep last night. I was ready to go to sleep last night around 9:00, but then I got a call from work saying that a server had crashed. I fixed it, but then I was too wired to go to sleep.

I'm at work now.