Mike Tully

Michael Scott "Mike" Tully (born October 21, 1956) is an American pole vaulter. He represented the United States twice in the Olympics, earning a silver in 1984, and held the American pole vault record from 1984 to 1985.

Mike Tully
Personal information
Full nameMichael Scott Tully
BornOctober 21, 1956 (1956-10-21) (age 63)
Long Beach, California, U.S.
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
1984 Los Angeles Pole vault
Pan American Games
1983 Caracas Pole vault
1987 Indianapolis Pole vault

Early career

Born in Long Beach, California,[1] he went to college at UCLA and was the NCAA champion in the pole vault in 1978 with a height of 5.53 metres.[2] He won three national titles in 1977, 1979 and 1986.[3] He also took the AAA Championships in 1976 and 1979 and the French championship in 1977.[4][5]

He enjoyed great success at the Mt. SAC Relays, winning four pole vault titles, each at a meet record height. His last victory came at a height exactly one foot higher than the first. He also holds the distinction of being the first vaulter to clear 18 feet in the competition. His efforts earned him the honor of induction into the Mt. SAC relays hall of fame in 1994.[6]

International career

Tully won the first two World Cup competitions, the 1977 and 1979 IAAF World Cup.[7] He qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team but was unable to compete due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott. Tully did however receive one of 461 Congressional Gold Medals created especially for the spurned athletes.[8] He competed at the 1983 World Championships without registering a valid mark.[9] In a one-month period in 1984 he raised the American record three times by a total of almost three inches. He concluded the season with a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games.[1] He took the American record from Jeff Buckingham,[10] but his national record was broken in 1985.

At the Pan American Games he won gold medals in 1983 and 1987 Pan American Games, both times with championship records, first 5.45 metres then 5.71 metres.[11] He also finished fourth at the 1986 Goodwill Games.[12]

gollark: If I went around having arms, my arms would just be the ISO standard male arm size, for efficiency.
gollark: When?
gollark: Anyone with different preferences to me is wrong, you see.
gollark: Wrong people.
gollark: It'd be redundant.

References
  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Mike Tully". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17.
  2. "NCAA Division I Championships (Men)". GBR Athletics. Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  3. "United States Championships (Men 1943-)". GBR Athletics. Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  4. "AAA Championships (Men)". GBR Athletics. Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  5. "United States Championships (Men 1943-)". GBR Athletics. Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  6. "Mike Tully". Mt. SAC Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2011-03-18.
  7. "IAAF World Cup in Athletics". GBR Athletics. Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  8. Caroccioli, Tom; Caroccioli, Jerry. Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Highland Park, IL: New Chapter Press. pp. 243–253. ISBN 978-0942257403.
  9. "Men Pole Vault World Championship 1983 Helsinki (FIN)". Todor Krastev. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  10. "Pole-Vault Mark Is Set by Tully". The New York Times. May 21, 1984. Retrieved 2007-04-20.
  11. "Pan American Games". GBR Athletics. Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  12. "Men Athletics Goodwiil Games Moscva (URS) 1986". Todor Krastev. Archived from the original on 27 July 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Władysław Kozakiewicz		 Season's best performance, men's pole vault
1978		 Succeeded by
Philippe Houvion
Patrick Abada
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