Charles Dvorak - 1904 Summer Olympics

1904 Summer Olympics

Dvorak returned to international competition as a member of the United States Olympic team at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis. While no other vaulter jumped higher than 11 feet, Dvorak won the gold medal with a jump of 11 feet, 6 inches on September 3, 1904—the final day of competition in the St. Louis games. The vault set a new Olympic record, and was described in a press account as follows:

"There was an unusually fine field in the pole vault contest. Five men broke the Olympic record before the event narrowed down to the final jumps, with three men eligible. Charles E. Dvorak of the C.A.A. then demonstrated his class, and from the 11-foot mark he competed alone, the other four men being tied at that mark. Dvorak's best was 11 feet 6 inches breaking the Olympic record of 10 feet 9-9/10 inches held by I. K. Baxter of the University of Pennsylvania, set at the Paris Olympiad."