Elite male pole vaulters reach 9.5-10.0 m/s (~21-22 mph) in the final 5 meters of the approach, per Schade et al. (2022). Sergey Bubka recorded 9.9 m/s in the stride immediately before takeoff. Elite women reach 8.0-8.7 m/s. HS-developing vaulters typically reach 7.0-8.0 m/s; college vaulters reach 8.5-9.2 m/s.
9.5-10.0 m/s in the last 5 m of the approach. Documented in Schade et al.'s 2022 World-Class Kinematics study using high-speed video from World Championship finals. Bubka, Lavillenie, and Duplantis all measured at or above 9.7 m/s at takeoff.
HS developing: 7.0-8.0 m/s. HS varsity: 8.0-8.7 m/s. College: 8.5-9.2 m/s. Elite men: 9.5-10.0 m/s. Elite women: 8.0-8.7 m/s. Speed scales with grip height per the 0.54 m/(m/s) relationship.
Peak vault height grows by approximately 0.54 m for every 1 m/s of additional run-up velocity. Sprint training transfers directly to pole vault performance for athletes already plant-and-swing competent.
AI form check measures takeoff velocity from phone video. Use the pole vault grip height calculator to translate your 100m PR into an estimated grip and pole length, then verify your actual takeoff velocity matches the estimate.
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