How a new material shook up pole vaulting at unprecedented pace, and changed the sport into what it is today. As of August 2024, the world record height is 20ft 6in. It took 40 years for that record to grow by a foot (19ft 5 3/4"in record set in 1984). But from 1960-1963 the world record also grew by a foot. Why did the record grow so high so fast during that time? You gotta hear why! We cover it all on this episode. Get ready to learn more about the science of pole vaulting and how an alteration of gear really changed the game.