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Portrait of Fred Hansen

Fred Hansen

b. 1940

American athlete (born 1940)

Pole vaulterAthletics competitor
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About Fred Hansen

Born 1940. Fred Hansen is an American pole vaulter and athletics competitor.

Frederick Morgan Hansen (born December 29, 1940) is an American former athlete who competed mainly in the pole vault. He held the world record in the pole vault for almost 2 years, first set as on June 13, 1964, and then improved to on July 25, 1964, at the USA vs USSR dual meet at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

1964 Olympics

Going into the 1964 Olympics, the United States had never lost an Olympic pole vault competition. In the final, the last remaining American was Hansen, who at the time was also the world record holder. The field included two other previous world record holders and decathlete C. K. Yang. Hansen cleared 5 meters on his first attempt, but so did three German athletes. Hansen then 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.

Hansen is featured on the cover of the book The Pole Vault: A Violent Ballet by David Butler.

Personal life Hansen was an avid golfer, and played at the 1980 U.S. Amateur golf championship.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Pole vaulter, athletics competitor
Nationality
Education
Rice University

People in Fred Hansen's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Fred Hansen's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Fred Hansen?

American athlete (born 1940)

When was Fred Hansen born?

Fred Hansen was born on 29 January 1940 in Cuero.

What is Fred Hansen's occupation?

Fred Hansen is a pole vaulter and athletics competitor.

What nationality is Fred Hansen?

Fred Hansen is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Fred Hansen

· Wikidata: Q952090

· DBpedia: Fred Hansen

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Fred Hansen. https://biography.guide/fred-hansen/

MLA: "Fred Hansen." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/fred-hansen/.

Chicago: "Fred Hansen." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/fred-hansen/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-26 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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