Stephen Norwood Smith (November 24, 1951 – September 23, 2020) was an American Olympic

pole vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a #bar, bar. Pole jumping was already practiced by the ...

er. He was the first person to clear the 18 foot barrier indoors. He was the number one ranked pole vaulter in the world in 1973.

Athletic career

Smith was United States indoor pole vault champion in 1972–73. He was also the first vaulter to break the 18-foot barrier indoors in 1973. Smith qualified for the

1972 Munich Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and officially branded as Munich 1972 (; ), were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. It was the ...

but failed to make the final. In the Olympic trials, Smith finished second in a top-quality competition – Bob Seagren, the winner, broke the world record.R. Hymans (2008
The History of the United States Olympic Trials – Track & Field
USA Track & Field. At the Olympics, Smith was one of the athletes affected by a ban by the world governing body the

IAAF World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international sports governing body, governing body for the sport ...

on the lighter poles they had been using all season. An initial ban in July had been reversed on August 27, but on the eve of the competition, August 30, the IAAF reimposed their ban claiming the poles were new equipment and therefore invalid. Smith finished 18th in qualifying and was so upset he threw his pole away in disgust at the end of the competition. Following his Olympic disaster, Smith rededicated himself to pole vaulting. His reward came on January 20, 1973 when he broke the world record indoors with (beating a record previously held by

Kjell Isaksson Kjell Gunnar Isaksson (born 28 February 1948) is a retired pole vaulter from Sweden, who broke the world record several times in 1972. Pole vaulting First he broke the record set by Christos Papanikolaou of Greece and San Jose State University ...

at (). Six days later he raised the record to .Ron Reid (February 12, 1973
"He's Raising The Roof A week after setting the world record, Steve Smith wins coast to coast and it seems the sky is his limit"
''Sports Illustrated''. Smith was to raise the record again over the next two seasons on the ITA tour culminating with on May 28, 1975 in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. He had a long-standing sporting rivalry with his fellow American pole vaulter Bob Seagren that famously developed into a personal and very public animosity. This rivalry was used as a promotional item for the new professional track and field tour of the

International Track Association The International Track Association (ITA) was a professional track and field organization that existed in the United States from 1972 to 1976. The ITA initially attracted many of the big track and field stars of the day to run in its meets and in ...

(ITA) that Smith and Seagren both joined – Seagren from the start of the ITA in 1973, Smith for the 1974 season. After the ITA folded in 1976, Smith applied to regain his amateur status having it restored eventually in 1979. He pursued legal action to enable him to take part in the Olympic Trials for the

1980 Moscow Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad () and officially branded as Moscow 1980 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1980 in Moscow, Soviet Union, in present-day Russ ...

from which he was initially banned. Smith finished fourth at the trials making him the alternate if one of top three finishers could not compete. However, this status was made meaningless with the United States boycott of the Moscow Olympics. Smith retired from athletics in 1983 after suffering an ankle injury in a car accident. Smith, a natural showman, was always popular with the crowds, for his muscular physique, love of surfing and his eye-catching dress sense – he famously competed in cranberry-colored, psychedelic ski pants.

Early life

Smith attended South Torrance High School. He was the CIF California State Meet champion in the event in 1968, defeating the namesake son of double Olympic pole vault champion

Bob Richards Robert Eugene Richards (February 20, 1926 – February 26, 2023) was an American athlete, minister, and politician. He made three U.S. Olympic Teams in two events: the 1948, 1952, and 1956 Summer Olympics as a pole vaulter and as a decathlete ...

on fewer misses. His first college was the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

. He started the year his nemesis, Bob Seagren, graduated. After one year he left for Long Beach State. At Long Beach State he was refused permission to work with his coach, Dick Tomlinson, who was not on the college staff, so he ended up training with the Pacific Coast Club instead.

Later life

Smith became a real-estate agent in southern California after retiring.

World rankings

Smith was voted by the experts at ''

Track and Field News ''Track & Field News'' is an American monthly sports magazine founded in 1948 by brothers Bert Nelson and Cordner Nelson, focused on the world of track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includ ...

'' to be ranked among the best in the USA and the world at the pole vault during his career. He was ranked during his early career and again when he returned to amateur competition. He would also have ranked during his professional career in the intervening years if the rankings had allowed this.

Accolades

In 2012, Smith was inducted into the United States National Pole Vault Hall of Fame.Inductees, National Pole Vault Hall of Fame
usapolevaulting.org.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Steve 1951 births 2020 deaths American male pole vaulters Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics Olympic track and field athletes for the United States World record setters in athletics (track and field) Track and field athletes from Long Beach, California South High School (Torrance, California) alumni American masters athletes 20th-century American sportsmen