Ulrich Baasch

Ulrich Baasch was a member of the sports clubs “Sport” from Saint Petersburg, from 1913 of MKLS in Moskva (Moscow). He was one of the best Russian pole vaulters prior to World War I. He won three national titles in this event (1908, 1909 and 1912), one silver (1913), and one bronze (1911). In the 110 m hurdles, he took two more titles (1910, 1911), adding another six silvers, and four bronzes in the long jump, high jump, and high hurdles. In 1913, Baasch also won the championship in the pole vault at the First All-Russian Olympics and his 3.53 m from the same year was his last of 13 Russian records in this event. In 1912, he was a member of the Russian delegation at the Stockholm Olympics. But his height of 3.40 m was far from the height required to qualify for the final.

At the beginning of World War I, the army ensign Baasch was recalled from the reserves to active service in the ranks of the 46th Siberian Rifle Regiment. Until 1917, he was promoted to staff captain and awarded different degrees of the orders of St. Vladimir, St. Stanislav and St. Anne. In the Civil War, he joined the White troops of Kolchak’s army at the Eastern Front. In 1919, he was part of the engineering department of the Omsk Military District.

Personal Best: PV – 3.53 (1913).