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. 2025 Mar 4;17(3):e80036.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.80036. eCollection 2025 Mar.

Injury Risk in Pole Vaulters: The Impact of Landing Technique and Experience Level in an Observational Study of 1,012 Athletes and 6,751 Attempts

Jeremy Scott  1 , Conner Howard  1 , Christopher Hendrix  1 , Andrea Siu  2 , Jacqueline Nguyen  3 , Spencer Chang  4 , Leila Ben-Youssef  4
Affiliations

Injury Risk in Pole Vaulters: The Impact of Landing Technique and Experience Level in an Observational Study of 1,012 Athletes and 6,751 Attempts

Jeremy Scott et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Background: Pole vaulting is a complex track and field event where athletes sprint down a runway, using a flexible pole to propel themselves over a horizontal crossbar. While safety regulations have reduced catastrophic injury rates, lower extremity injuries remain prevalent and demand further investigation. However, injury risks remain a concern due to the complexity of the sport and repetitive fall from heights. This study aims to investigate the correlation between landing mechanics and injury rates in pole vaulting. The authors hypothesize that improper landing techniques significantly increase the risk of injury, particularly in less experienced athletes.

Methods: This study was conducted at a national indoor pole vault event consisting of 1,012 athletes, ranging from beginner to elite level. Data was collected on skill level, landing location and position, and injuries. Only injuries sustained during a competitive vault attempt were considered for data analysis, which included descriptive statistics.

Results: The landing injury rate was low at 0.12%, with eight injuries occurring in 6,751 vault attempts. Notably, no injuries occurred in athletes with optimal landing mechanics. All reported injuries affected the lower extremities and were exclusively observed in less experienced vaulters.

Conclusion: Though pole vaulting is a relatively safe sport, catastrophic injuries are possible and the injuries that do occur are preventable, as this study reveals they occur at a higher rate in inexperienced vaulters as well as with an improper landing technique. Coaches and athletes should emphasize proper landing techniques to prevent injuries and improve performance.

Keywords: landing injuries; orthopaedics; pole vault; sports; track and field.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Western Institutional Review Board issued approval 2014-078. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Pole Vault Landing Pit Illustration and Landing Position Descriptions
Figure 2
Figure 2. Landing Location Frequencies by Competition Level
Figure 3
Figure 3. Landing Position Frequencies by Competition Level
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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