Men Pole Vault Athletics IV Olympic Games London, Great Britain 1908 - Friay, 24th July - Gold Medal: Edward Cook, United States and Alfred Gilbert, United States
Olympic Record: 3.50m - Charles Dvorak, - St. Louis, (USA), September 3, 1904.
Gonder, having won an Olympic title, turned to rugby in 1908 and so
missed the London Games, leaving Alfred “A. C.” Gilbert, winner of
the US Eastern Trials with a national record 3.855, as favourite.
Another to miss London was Walter Dray, who placed second in the US
Trials but then cleared 3.90 in a minor meeting before being injured.
The qualifying competition was held on the morning of 24 July in three
sections, with Söderström winning the first section with 3.58 from
Jacobs – 3.50. Cooke won the next section with an Olympic record
3.71 ahead of Gilbert – 3.66 – and Archibald 3.58. Bellah won the last
section with 3.43.
Performances were carried forward to the final, and Gilbert out-
jumped Cook 3.71 to 3.66 in a competition disrupted by the excitement
surrounding the finish of the marathon. The two shared the gold medal
on the basis of Cook’s earlier 3.71, with Archibald, Jacobs and
Söderström sharing third place after all three cleared 3.58.
United States
Canada
Sweden
Greece
Hungary
France
Netherlands
