Paul Wilson

Paul Wilson (born July 30, 1947) is an American athlete specializing in the pole vault. He was the world record holder in the event. The first vaulter to clear his age in feet. In 1967 he was the number-one ranked pole vaulter in the world, but his career was cut short by injury.

Athletic career

High school Wilson was an outstanding high-school pole vaulter. As a student of Warren High School (Downey, California), he was coached by John Mitchell.

In 1964 as a junior, Wilson came to the attention of Sports Illustrated magazine. SI published his "whizzer of 15 feet" in their March 16 edition and awarded him an "Award of Merit" for setting the interscholastic age record. He broke the age record by becoming the first 16-year-old to clear 16 feet.

A year later, in 1965, as a senior, he won CIF Southern Section and CIF California State Meet titles and had achieved an age best in the pole vault of . On 20 March 1965, he vaulted 16-6 3/4 at the Southern Counties meet as a Senior.

Wilson was twice named as Athlete of the Year in the CIF Southern Section by the Helms Athletic Foundation. In his first year there, Wilson "hoisted the collegiate vault standard to 17-1." and that winning vault broke the world record. He achieved this feat on 23 June 1967 in Bakersfield, California, with a height of . It was the same day Jim Ryun set his long lasting world record in the mile. His record of 17-7 3/4 continues to be the sixth best height ever achieved by a USC Trojan.

The injury prematurely ended his career.

Records and rankings During his curtailed career, Wilson was a formidable performer at USA national championships, held by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). Wilson was also voted by the experts at Track and Field News to be ranked among the best in the USA and the world at the pole vault during his career.

+Pole Vault: Records held by WilsonYearCIF SouthernCA StateAAUNationalWorld1965 MR MR NA AR WR 1966 NA NA CR 1967 NA NA CR AR WR MR = Meet record, CR = Collegiate record, AR = American record, WR = World record, NA = not applicable