The first world record in the women's pole vault was recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations in 1994. The inaugural record, 4.05 metres by Sun Caiyun of China set in 1992, was the world's best mark as of December 31, 1994.
As of June 21, 2009, the IAAF has ratified 54 world records in the event.
Pre-IAAF Record Progression
The first mark shows the measurement system in use at the time of the jump, the second mark shows the conversion. Marks set in the USA during this era were always measured in imperial measurements. Most of the world and IAAF recognize marks in metric measurements.
MarkAthleteNationVenueDate#http://iaaf-ebooks.s3.amazonaws.com/2015/Progression-of-IAAF-World-Records-2015/projet/IAAF-WRPB-2015.pdf P314Ruth Spencer Painesville14 May 191015 May 1911Hazel Hutaff Rock Hill3 April 1915Lois Tatum Tallahassee13 April 1915=Emma Lee King Lois Tatum =Eva Fisk Lincoln13 May 1915=Mildred Carl New Haven6 June 19153 June 1919Elva Hintze Nürnberg17 July 1921Helene Henneke =Yelena Goldobina Moskva7 September 1924Zoya Romanova 26 August 1935Diane Bragg Philadelphia6 July 1952=Brenda Walker Wairoa8 Jan 1969 iIrene Spieker Louisville10 February 1978 i9 February 1979 i i iJana Edwards * June 1983Chicago11 June 1983Cleveland18 June 198318 June 1983Fort Wayne23 July 1983Zhang Chunzhen Guangzhou20 April 1988Shao Jingmen 4 May 1988Zhang Chunzhen Nanjing10 June 1988Zhou Minxin Fuzhou22 April 1989Zhang Chunzhen Guangzhou9 September 198924 March 1990Sun Caiyun 24 March 1991=Zhang Chunzhen Beijing5 June 1991Guangzhou10 August 1991
IAAF Record Progression
MarkAthleteNationVenueDate#The numbered occurrence of the athlete breaking the world record, in other words "#7" would indicate the 7th time the athlete broke the world record.Sun Caiyun Nanjing, China21 May 1992118 May 19952Zhong Guiqing 1Daniela BártováLjubljana, Slovenia 21 May 19951Duisburg, Germany 18 June 19952Wesel, Germany24 June 19953Gateshead, England 2 July 19954Ostrava, Czech Republic6 July 19955Feldkirch, Austria14 July 1995615 July 1995 7Andrea Müller Zittau, Germany5 August 19951Daniela BártováKöln, Germany18 August 19958Linz, Austria22 August 19959Salgótarján, Hungary11 September 199510Emma George Melbourne, Australia 30 November 19951 Perth, Australia17 December 1995228 January 199634Reims, France29 June 19965Sapporo, Japan14 July 19966Melbourne, Australia8 February 1997720 February 19978Auckland, New Zealand21 February 19989Melbourne, Australia14 March 199810Brisbane, Australia 21 March 199811Sydney, Australia20 February 199912Stacy Dragila Sevilla, Spain21 August 19991 i "From 2000, IAAF Rule 260.18s (formerly 260.6.a) was amended to say world records (as opposed to indoor world records) can be set in a facility 'with or without a roof.' So far, only one event - the women's pole vault - has been affected by this change, which was not applied retrospectively. Therefore world records set in 2000 and 2001 by Stacy Dragila and Svetlana Feofanova can be regarded as 'absolute' and appear on these [record progression] lists." (p.546) This rule also applies to Isinbayeva's and Feofanova's 2004 marks.Pocatello, U.S.19 Feb 20002i Atlanta, U.S.3 Mar 20003Sacramento, U.S.23 July 20004i New York City, U.S.2 Feb 20015i Svetlana FeofanovaDortmund, Germany11 February 20011i Stacy Dragila Pocatello, U.S.17 Feb 20016i 727 April 20018Stanford, U.S.9 June 2001910Yelena IsinbayevaGateshead, England13 July 20031i Donets'k, Ukraine15 February 2004 2i Svetlana FeofanovaThe IAAF lists Yelena Isinbayeva as having set this mark on 20 February 2004 on their 2009-published progression lists. However, multiple sources elsewhere, including the IAAF's own list of highest women's indoor vaults of the year 2004, state that Svetlana Feofanova in fact set this record.Athens, Greece22 February 20042i Yelena IsinbayevaBudapest, Hungary6 March 2004 3Gateshead, England27 June 20044Svetlana FeofanovaHeraklion, Greece4 July 20043Yelena IsinbayevaBirmingham, England25 July 20045London, England30 July 20046Athens, Greece 24 August 20047Brussels, Belgium3 September 20048Lausanne, Switzerland5 July 20059Madrid, Spain16 July 200510London, England22 July 20051112Helsinki, Finland9 August 200513Rome, Italy11 July 200814Fontvieille, Monaco29 July 200815Beijing, China18 August 200816 Zürich, Switzerland28 August 200917
See also Men's pole vault world record progression Women's pole vault indoor world record progression List of pole vaulters who reached 5 metres
Notes