2019 USATF Outdoor Championships

Sam Kendricks Smashes U.S. Record With Best Outdoor Vault In 25 Years

Sam Kendricks Smashes U.S. Record With Best Outdoor Vault In 25 Years

The last time a higher outdoor mark was achieved was when the great Sergey Bubka broke the world record 25 years ago.

Jul 27, 2019 by Jennifer Zahn
Sam Kendricks Smashes U.S. Record With Best Outdoor Vault In 25 Years

Buried underneath a mass of pole vaulters who dog-piled him in celebration, Sam Kendricks realized his goal of becoming the American record-holder and the second-best outdoor vaulter in world history today at the USATF Outdoor Championships.

Kendricks' world-leading PR vault, 6.06m/19-10.5, which he made on his second attempt at the height, improved on the former record held somewhat controversially by dual Swedish-American citizen Armand (Mondo) Duplantis, who set the mark at 6.05m while competing for Sweden at the European Championships last year in August. 

The last time a higher outdoor mark was achieved was when the great Sergey Bubka broke the world record 25 years ago.

Updated All-Time Best Outdoor Marks:

1. Sergey Bubka 6.14m
2. Sam Kendricks 6.06m
3. Maxim Tarasov 6.05m
3. Dmitri Markov6.05m
3. Renaud Lavillenie6.05m
3. Armand Duplantis6.05m


Kendricks shut it down and did not take any more attempts after accomplishing the feat. His facility record at Drake Stadium might last forever. 

As the 2017 world champion, Kendricks has a bye into Doha, and will be joined by three other Americans at the 2019 IAAF World Championships:

2) Cole Walsh (Nike), 5.76m

3) KC Lightfoot (Baylor), 5.76m

4) Zach Bradford (Kansas), 5.71m

Watch Sam Kendricks' American-record vault here: