Kjell Isaksson

Who is Kjell Isaksson?

Kjell Gunnar Isaksson is a retired pole vaulter from Sweden, who broke the world record several times in 1972. Initially he broke the record set by Christos Papanikolaou of Greece and San Jose State University two years earlier, by jumping 5.51 metres in Austin, Texas—the second man to clear 18 feet. A week later he improved to 5.54 in Los Angeles, California. His technique inspired several aspects of the Petrov/Bubka model. Two months later he added another centimeter at a meet in Helsingborg, Sweden. His record reign was ended on July 2, 1972 when Olympic Gold Medalist Bob Seagren jumped 5.63 metres at the United States Olympic Trials before going on to take an additional silver medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics. The highest Isaksson ever jumped was 5.59, in a competition in El Paso, Texas, May 23, 1972.

Isaksson is a three-time Olympian for his Sweden. He finished 5th at the 1968 Summer Olympics, no heighted after passing to 5.0 metres in the trials of the 1972 Summer Olympics and again no heighted after passing to 5.20 in the final of the 1976 Summer Olympics.