| | Event type

Pole Vault, Men

Date	21 – 22 July 1952
Status	Olympic
Location	Helsingin Olympiastadion, Helsinki
Participants	28 from 18 countries

There were 19 qualifiers which led to a five-hour final. Bob Richards, bronze medalist from 1948, was the favorite, having won the 1949-51 AAU and tieing in 1952 with Don Laz, also present in Helsinki. They were the class of the Olympic final, having no misses thru 4.40 (14-5¼) and then were the only two vaulters to clear 4.50 (14-9), both on their second attempts. The competition was thus tied to that point, but Richards made 4.55 (14-11) on his third try to win the gold medal. The best European was Sweden’s Ragnar Lundberg, 1950 European Champion, and he won the bronze medal. He and Soviet Pyotr Denisenko tied at 4.40 (14-5¼), both clearing on the first attempt, and had the same number of misses, but Lundberg had taken one less jump, which was the third tie-breaking rule in this era.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Qualifying	Final
1	1025	Bob Richards	USA	4.00 (=6)	4.55 (1)	Gold	OR
2	1024	Don Laz	USA	4.00 (=6)	4.50 (2)	Silver	OR
3	702	Ragnar Lundberg	SWE	4.00 (=1)	4.40 (3)	Bronze	OR
4	451	Pyotr Denisenko	URS	4.00 (=1)	4.40 (4)		OR
5	809	Valto Olenius	FIN	4.00 (13)	4.30 (5)
6	315	Bunkichi Sawada	JPN	4.00 (18)	4.20 (6)
7	454	Vladimir Brazhnik	URS	4.00 (15)	4.20 (7)
8	455	Viktor Knyazev	URS	4.00 (14)	4.20 (8)
9	1026	George Mattos	USA	4.00 (=6)	4.20 (9)
10	811	Erkki Kataja	FIN	4.00 (=1)	4.10 (10)
=11	952	Tamás Homonnay	HUN	4.00 (=1)	4.10 (=11)
=11	701	Lennart Lind	SWE	4.00 (=6)	4.10 (=11)
13	335	Milan Milakov	YUG	4.00 (19)	4.10 (13)
=14	382	Rigas Efstathiadis	GRE	4.00 (=11)	3.95 (=14)
=14	161	Torfi Bryngeirsson	ISL	4.00 (=16)	3.95 (=14)
16	517	Erling Kaas	NOR	4.00 (=11)	3.80 (16)
17	381	Theodosios Balafas	GRE	4.00 (=16)	3.80 (17)
=18	810	Jukka Piironen	FIN	4.00 (=1)	3.80 (=18)
=18	660	Zeno Dragomir	ROU	4.00 (=6)	3.80 (=18)
20 r1/2	862	Walter Hofstetter	SUI	3.90 (20)	–
21 r1/2	358	Ron Miller	CAN	3.90 (21)	–
=22 r1/2	206	Geoff Elliott	GBR	3.80 (=22)	–
=22 r1/2	205	Tim Anderson	GBR	3.80 (=22)	–
=22 r1/2	577	Zenon Ważny	POL	3.80 (=22)	–
25 r1/2	63	Hélcio da Silva	BRA	3.60 (25)	–
26 r1/2	96	Gamal El-Sherbini	EGY	3.60 (26)	–
AC r1/2	383	Georgios Roumpanis	GRE	– (NH)	–
AC r1/2	549	José Vicente	PUR	– (NH)	–
DNS	410	Jorge Aguilera	MEX	– (DNS)	–
DNS	281	Franz Fritz	AUT	– (DNS)	–
DNS	630	Georges Breitman	FRA	– (DNS)	–
DNS	578	Edward Adamczyk	POL	– (DNS)	–

Qualifying Round

Date	21 July 1952 — 15:00
Format	All those clearing 4.00 metres advanced to the final.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Best Height Cleared	Misses at Best Height Cleared	Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared	Total Attempts thru Best Height Cleared	Attempts at 3.60 m	Attempts at 3.80 m	Attempts at 3.90 m	Attempts at 4.00 m
=1	451	Pyotr Denisenko	URS	4.00	0	0	2	-	o	-	o	Q
=1	952	Tamás Homonnay	HUN	4.00	0	0	2	-	o	-	o	Q
=1	811	Erkki Kataja	FIN	4.00	0	0	2	-	o	-	o	Q
=1	702	Ragnar Lundberg	SWE	4.00	0	0	2	-	o	-	o	Q
=1	810	Jukka Piironen	FIN	4.00	0	0	2	-	o	-	o	Q
=6	660	Zeno Dragomir	ROU	4.00	0	0	3	-	o	o	o	Q
=6	1024	Don Laz	USA	4.00	0	0	3	-	o	o	o	Q
=6	701	Lennart Lind	SWE	4.00	0	0	3	o	o	-	o	Q
=6	1026	George Mattos	USA	4.00	0	0	3	-	o	o	o	Q
=6	1025	Bob Richards	USA	4.00	0	0	3	-	o	o	o	Q
=11	382	Rigas Efstathiadis	GRE	4.00	0	1	5	o	o	xo	o	Q
=11	517	Erling Kaas	NOR	4.00	0	1	5	xo	o	o	o	Q
13	809	Valto Olenius	FIN	4.00	1	1	2	-	-	-	xo	Q
14	455	Viktor Knyazev	URS	4.00	1	1	3	-	o	-	xo	Q
15	454	Vladimir Brazhnik	URS	4.00	1	1	4	o	o	-	xo	Q
=16	381	Theodosios Balafas	GRE	4.00	1	1	5	o	o	o	xo	Q
=16	161	Torfi Bryngeirsson	ISL	4.00	1	1	5	o	o	o	xo	Q
18	315	Bunkichi Sawada	JPN	4.00	1	2	5	-	o	xo	xo	Q
19	335	Milan Milakov	YUG	4.00	2	2	5	o	o	-	xxo	Q
20	862	Walter Hofstetter	SUI	3.90	0	1	4	o	xo	o	xxx
21	358	Ron Miller	CAN	3.90	1	1	3	-	o	xo	xxx
=22	205	Tim Anderson	GBR	3.80	0	0	2	o	o	-	xxx
=22	206	Geoff Elliott	GBR	3.80	0	0	2	o	o	-	xxx
=22	577	Zenon Ważny	POL	3.80	0	0	2	o	o	xxx	–
25	63	Hélcio da Silva	BRA	3.60	0	0	1	o	xxx	–	–
26	96	Gamal El-Sherbini	EGY	3.60	2	2	3	xxo	xxx	–	–
NH	383	Georgios Roumpanis	GRE	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
NH	549	José Vicente	PUR	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
DNS	410	Jorge Aguilera	MEX	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
DNS	281	Franz Fritz	AUT	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
DNS	630	Georges Breitman	FRA	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
DNS	578	Edward Adamczyk	POL	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Final Round

Date	22 July 1952 — 15:00

Pos	Start Order	Competitor	NOC	Best Height Cleared	Misses at Best Height Cleared	Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared	Total Attempts thru Best Height Cleared	Attempts at 3.60 m	Attempts at 3.80 m	Attempts at 3.95 m	Attempts at 4.10 m	Attempts at 4.20 m	Attempts at 4.30 m	Attempts at 4.40 m	Attempts at 4.50 m	Attempts at 4.55 m	Attempts at 4.60 m
1	1025	Bob Richards	USA	4.55	2	3	10	-	-	o	o	o	o	o	xo	xxo	xxx	OR
2	1024	Don Laz	USA	4.50	1	1	7	-	-	o	o	o	o	o	xo	xxx	–	OR
3	702	Ragnar Lundberg	SWE	4.40	0	1	5	-	-	o	-	o	xo	o	xxx	–	–	OR
4	451	Pyotr Denisenko	URS	4.40	0	1	6	-	-	o	o	xo	o	o	xxx	–	–	OR
5	809	Valto Olenius	FIN	4.30	1	2	5	-	-	-	o	xo	xo	xxx	–	–	–
6	315	Bunkichi Sawada	JPN	4.20	0	2	6	-	o	xxo	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–
7	454	Vladimir Brazhnik	URS	4.20	1	1	5	-	o	o	o	xo	xxx	–	–	–	–
8	455	Viktor Knyazev	URS	4.20	1	2	6	-	o	o	xo	xo	xxx	–	–	–	–
9	1026	George Mattos	USA	4.20	2	3	6	-	-	o	xo	xxo	xxx	–	–	–	–
10	811	Erkki Kataja	FIN	4.10	0	0	2	-	-	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
=11	952	Tamás Homonnay	HUN	4.10	0	0	3	-	o	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
=11	701	Lennart Lind	SWE	4.10	0	0	3	-	o	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
13	335	Milan Milakov	YUG	4.10	0	1	4	-	o	xo	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
=14	161	Torfi Bryngeirsson	ISL	3.95	0	0	2	-	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–	–
=14	382	Rigas Efstathiadis	GRE	3.95	0	0	2	-	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–	–
16	517	Erling Kaas	NOR	3.80	0	0	1	-	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
17	381	Theodosios Balafas	GRE	3.80	0	0	2	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
=18	810	Jukka Piironen	FIN	3.80	1	1	2	-	xo	xxx	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
=18	660	Zeno Dragomir	ROU	3.80	1	1	2	-	xo	xxx	–	–	–	–	–	–	–