Yvonne Buschbaum

Yvonne Buschbaum came to international prominence in the pole vault when only 18-years-old. In 1998 she placed fourth at the World Junior Championship in the vault, and later that year, won a bronze medal at the European Championships (for seniors). She would repeat her bronze medal at the 2002 European Championships. In addition to her sixth place finish at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, she competed three times at the World Championships – 14th in 1999, 7th in 2001, and 6th in 2003. Her most significant international title came in 1999 when she won the European Junior Championship in Rīga, Latvia. She won 10 German titles in her junior and her adult career. Her career best was 4.70, which she recorded on 29 June 2003 in her native Ulm. At her retirement she ranked 10th on the all-time pole vault performer list.

In 2007 Buschbaum outed herself on her website as a transsexual, retired from competitive sport, and announced plans to undergo hormone treatment and change gender. She took on the male first name Balian and underwent surgery to become a man. His new first name Balian was inspired by the movie Kingdom of Heavens, in which Balian of Ibelin “lost everything and then embarked on a journey on which he learned himself and his tasks to know.” He later worked as a pole vault coach at Mainz. In 2010 Buschbaum published an autobiographic work: Blaue Augen bleiben blau. Mein Leben (Blue Eyes Stay to Be Blue Eyes. My Life).

Personal Best: PV – 4.70 (2003).