Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics - Men's pole vault

Men's pole vault at the Games of the XVIII Olympiad
Venue	Olympic Stadium
Dates	15–17 October
Competitors	32 from 20 nations
Medalists
01 ! Fred Hansen  United States 02 ! Wolfgang Reinhardt  United Team of Germany 03 ! Klaus Lehnertz  United Team of Germany
← 1960 1968 →

01 !		Fred Hansen	United States
02 !		Wolfgang Reinhardt	United Team of Germany
03 !		Klaus Lehnertz	United Team of Germany

The men's pole vault was one of four men's jumping events on the Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics program in Tokyo. Qualification was held on 15 October 1964, with the final on 17 October. 32 athletes from 20 nations entered, with 1 not starting in the qualification round. The final lasted over seven hours, to date the longest competition in history. All finalists qualified at 4.60, however in the final five were unable to achieve the height again.

At this point in time, the United States had never lost and Olympic pole vault competition. In the final, the last remaining American was Fred Hansen, who at the time was also the world record holder. Hansen cleared 5 meters on his first attempt, but so did three German athletes, making it a four way tie. Hansen passed the next height, watching as only Wolfgang Reinhardt was able to clear. Re-entering the competition at 5.10, Hansen failed his first two attempts, but so did Reinhardt. Hansen then sailed over his final attempt, while Reinhart could not. Hansen continued the American streak, which would survive through one more Olympics until the 1972 pole vault controversy, when defending champion Bob Seagren had his pole confiscated at the games and had to compete on an unfamiliar, borrowed pole.

Vaulters had to clear 4.60 metres to qualify for the final. The bar start at 4.20 metres, increasing gradually to 4.60 metres. Each jumper had three attempts at each height or could skip any lower height (but could not return to a lower height if he determined that he could not succeed).