Word: isaksson
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...pole vault is technically the most difficult event in track and field; this year's Olympic contest may be the best ever. The 18-ft. barrier, narrowly broken in 1970 by Greek Chris Papanicolaou, was not disturbed again until last April, when Sweden's diminutive Kjell Isaksson soared 18 ft. 1 in. Since then the barrier has really been buffeted-including twice more by Isaksson and twice by Bob Seagren of the U.S. (TIME, June 19), a fledgling actor who hopes for a movie career. Seagren has cleared a world record height...
...Isaksson actually began his athletic career as a gymnast, bouncing away with a brace of trophies in his native Harnosand. When he was a teen-ager he moved to Stockholm. "His first day there," his mother recalls, "he asked me if he could go to the athletic field in Sundbyberg. How could I say no? He came home later with two gold medals. He had won the high jump, and then borrowed a bamboo pole and won the pole vault...
...walked out onto the track, chatted amiably with his competitors and with A.A.U. officials, and then proceeded to win the pole-vault event. His best jump of 17 ft. 4 in. was not really much of an accomplishment for Seagren; he is co-holder with Sweden's Kjell Isaksson of the world's record of 18 ft. 4¼ in. set in El Paso, Texas, in May. But without top competition, Seagren explains, he can't reach the psychological plateau necessary to crack 18 ft. "In practice, even when I'm trying, I can never...
...well beat Seagren to 19 ft. is Kjell Isaksson, who is relatively unconcerned about the type of pole he uses. The wiry little (5 ft. 8 in., 145 Ibs.) Swede has broken the world record three times this year with springy vaults that give him the appearance of coming off a trampoline instead of a pole. Says Seagren's former track coach, Donald Ruh: "Bob is a classic vaulter. Isaksson is more gymnastic. He makes it look almost effortless because he gets so much flyaway on top." Adds Jenks: "Bob overcomes that by being stronger, faster and taller...
...Isaksson compensates for his lack of heft by weight lifting. Sometimes he overcompensates. In 1969 he compressed two vertebrae in his spine while lifting 220 Ibs. That is why his regimen calls for Turkish massage after two-hour daily workouts. The injury also explains why he recently canceled a trip to the U.S. for an Olympic warmup match with Seagren. Off the track, Isaksson has garnered something of a reputation as a swinger, but denies having a regular girl friend. Says he: "If a guy is really in love, it's easy for him to begin to cut down...