Kjell Isaksson
Kjell Gunnar Isaksson ( born February 28, 1948 in Härnösand ) is a former Swedish pole vaulter, the 1972 three times improved the world record.
Career
Kjell Isaksson had operated for several years as a gymnast before he started with athletics. In 1968, he improved the Swedish record five times from 5.05 m to 5.25 m ultimately. At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, he was tenth with 5.15 m. At the European Indoor Games he was in Madrid in 1968 and 1969 in Belgrade each sixth.
1969 occupied Isaksson at the European Athletics Championships in Athens with 5.20 m in second place behind Wolfgang Nordwig from the GDR. In 1970 he again won silver at the Indoor Athletics Championships in Vienna. With 5.25 m, it was 5 cm behind the Frenchman François Tracanelli. A year later at the European Indoor Championships in Sofia won Nordwig with 5.40 m before Isaksson 5.35 m, and in Helsinki in 1971 won the European Championship Isaksson his fourth silver medal in a row when he 5 cm behind with 5.30 m Nordwig remained. With 5.43 m Isaksson led the annual global leaderboard in 1971.
1971/72 Isaksson moved to the University of Southern California and launched during the indoor season exclusively in the United States. In New York City he presented on February 26 at 5.45 m on a Hallenweltbestleistung. On April 8, he could show that he had taken over his form from the hall in the outdoor season. In Austin, he improved the world record of the Greek Christos Papanikolaou of 5.49 m to 5.51 m. A week later, on April 15, 1972 in Los Angeles, he improved the world record to 5.54 m. The highest jump of his career succeeded Isaksson on May 23 in El Paso, as Bob Seagren and Isaksson both jumped over 5.59 m. Since the competition was not properly notified, the world record though not recognized. Four days later, Isaksson graduated in Södertälje his first European competition in the Olympic season. On June 12, he improved in Helsingborg the world record to 5.55 m and defeated while Wolfgang Nordwig. On July 2, he was replaced Bob Seagren from as world record holder, as he crossed 5.63 m at the Olympic excretion. Prior to the 1972 Olympics in Munich, several European organizations tried to ensure that the light new rods from the United States should not be allowed for the Olympics, because they are not long enough in the market, as all Olympic participants would thus train can. Until shortly before the Games, the Americans and the coaching in the U.S. Isaksson went even assuming that they could use their new rods, but ultimately the bars for the Olympic Games were not admitted. Main beneficiary of the squabbling was Wolfgang Nordwig, who had not even tried the new rods. He was Olympic champion in front Seagren, who felt betrayed by his second Olympic gold medal after 1968. Even harder made the decision Kjell Isaksson, who could not adjust to the old bars and stayed in the Olympic qualification without a valid attempt.
Isaksson was never able to return to his form of 1972, though he remained active for a long time. In the EM 1974 in Rome, he was sixth and at the European Indoor Championships 1975 in Katowice eighth. At the Olympic Games 1976, Isaksson qualified for the final, but then remained in the final without a valid attempt.
Overall, he won ten times the Swedish championship and improved fourteen times the Swedish national record. His jump of 5.55 m was only in 1983 exceeded by Miro Zalar as a national record.
Kjell Isaksson is 1,74 m tall and weighed in his playing days 70 kg.