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Fred Hansen

Hansen in the 1960s
Personal information
Full name	Frederick Morgan Hansen
Born	December 29, 1940 (1940-12-29) (age 84) Cuero, Texas, U.S.
Height	183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	75 kg (165 lb)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Pole vault, long jump
Club	Rice Owls, Houston
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	PV – 5.28 m (1964) LJ – 7.26 m (1961)
Medal record Representing  United States Olympic Games 1964 Tokyo Pole vault

Frederick Morgan Hansen (born December 29, 1940) is an American former athlete who competed mainly in the pole vault.

A 1963 graduate of Rice University, he competed in the pole vault for the United States in the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan, where he won the gold medal. He held the world record in the pole vault for almost 2 years, first set as 5.23 m (17 ft 1+3⁄4 in) on June 13, 1964, and then improved to 5.28 m (17 ft 3+3⁄4 in) on July 25, 1964, at the USA vs USSR dual meet at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

1964 Olympics

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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. He resides Gonzales County, Texas. He formerly practiced dentistry in Houston, Texas, in the Memorial area of town. He was Inducted into the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame, Class of 2016.

References

1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Fred Hansen". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on August 30, 2013.
2. ^ Fred Hansen. trackfield.brinkster.net
3. "Athletics at the 1964 Tokyo Summer Games: Men's pole vault". Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
4. Video on YouTube @1:10
5. http://ttfca2.wixsite.com/txtfhalloffame/inductees Archived January 16, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. wixsite.com

External links

• Fred Hansen at Sporting Heroes
• Fred Hansen at Olympics.com

Records
Preceded by John Pennel	Men's pole vault world record holder June 13, 1964 – May 14, 1966	Succeeded by Bob Seagren

v t e 1964 USA Olympic track and field team
Men's track and road athletes	Gerry Ashworth Mike Brodie Dyrol Burleson Henry Carr Ollan Cassell Rex Cawley Willie Davenport Bill Dellinger Paul Drayton Buddy Edelen Tom Farrell Jeff Fishback Morgan Groth Billy Hardin Bob Hayes T. J. Jackson Hayes Jones Ron Laird Mike Larrabee Ron Larrieu Gerry Lindgren Jay Luck Bruce MacDonald Pete McArdle Chris McCarthy Billy Mills Oscar Moore Jack Mortland Tom O'Hara Mel Pender Jim Ryun Bob Schul Jerry Siebert Dick Stebbins Ulis Williams George Young Ron Zinn Vic Zwolak
Men's field athletes	Ralph Boston Ed Burke Ed Caruthers Hal Connolly Frank Covelli Ira Davis Dick Emberger Kent Floerke Al Hall Fred Hansen Paul Herman Russ Hodge Gayle Hopkins Dallas Long Randy Matson Parry O'Brien Al Oerter Billy Pemelton John Pennel John Rambo Ed Red Bill Sharpe Phil Shinnick Jay Silvester John Thomas Les Tipton Dave Weill
Women's track athletes	Rosie Bonds Vivian Brown Sandy Knott Edith McGuire Lacey O'Neal Cherrie Sherrard Janell Smith Debbie Thompson Wyomia Tyus Marilyn White Willye White
Women's field athletes	RaNae Bair Estelle Baskerville Earlene Brown Terri Brown Olga Connolly Jo Ann Grissom Eleanor Montgomery Martha Watson Willye White Pat Winslow
Coaches	Bob Giegengack (men's head coach) Edward P. Hurt (men's assistant coach) Payton Jordan (men's assistant coach) Charles Walter (men's assistant coach) Ed Temple (women's head coach) Jack Griffin (women's assistant coach)

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• 1940 births
• Living people
• American male pole vaulters
• American Presbyterians
• Athletes (track and field) at the 1964 Summer Olympics
• World record setters in athletics (track and field)
• Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics
• Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field
• Rice Owls men's track and field athletes
• Rice University alumni
• People from Cuero, Texas
• Track and field athletes from Texas
• NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners
• 20th-century American sportsmen
• American pole vaulter stubs
• American track and field athletics Olympic medalist stubs