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| Born | August 25, 1955 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Earl H. Bell (born August 25, 1955) is a former world record holding pole vaulter from the United States, winner of the bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics and current coach to a number of the nation's top men and women vaulters. He was born in Ancón, Panama Canal Zone.
At his last Olympic appearance, Bell finished fourth at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. He held the world pole vaulting record for approximately a month in 1976 and set an American record of 19' 0 1/4" in San Jose, California in 1984.
In 2002, Bell was inducted into the USATF National Track and Field Hall of Fame.
Bell established Bell Athletics outside of Jonesboro, Arkansas where he has coached Jeff Hartwig, Derek Miles, Kellie Suttle and Jillian Schwartz, among other top pole vaulters.[1]
Rare among vaulters, Bell managed to stay relatively healthy and productive for a long career, gaining US rankings among the best for 16 consecutive years in the Track and Field News annual rankings.[2]
| Year | Event | World ranking | US ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Pole vault | 3rd | 1st |
| 1976 | Pole vault | 4th | 2nd |
| 1977 | Pole vault | 4th | 2nd |
| 1978 | Pole vault | - | 5th |
| 1979 | Pole vault | - | 5th |
| 1980 | Pole vault | - | 6th |
| 1981 | Pole vault | 6th | 1st |
| 1982 | Pole vault | - | 4th |
| 1983 | Pole vault | - | 3rd |
| 1984 | Pole vault | 7th | 2nd |
| 1985 | Pole vault | - | 4th |
| 1986 | Pole vault | 5th | 1st |
| 1987 | Pole vault | 3rd | 1st |
| 1988 | Pole vault | 5th | 2nd |
| 1989 | Pole vault | - | 5th |
| 1990 | Pole vault | - | 3rd |
| Records | ||
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| Preceded by David Roberts |
Men's Pole Vault World Record Holder May 28, 1976 – June 22, 1976 |
Succeeded by David Roberts |
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