Brian Sternberg

American pole vaulter

Brian Sternberg
Sternberg in 1964
Personal information
BornJune 21, 1943[1]
DiedMay 23, 2013 (aged 69)
Sport
SportAthletics
EventPole vault
Achievements and titles
Personal best5.08 m (1963)[1]

Brian Sternberg (June 21, 1943 – May 23, 2013)[2] was a world record holder in the men's pole vault who was paralyzed from the neck down after a trampoline accident in 1963.

Sternberg set one of his world records on May 25, 1963, in Modesto, California jumping 16 feet 7 inches (5.05 m) using new technology for the sport, a fiberglass pole.[3][4] His final record of 5.08 meters (16 ft 8 in) was set on June 7, 1963.[5]

After graduation from Seattle's Shoreline High School in 1961, Sternberg enrolled at the University of Washington and won the 1963 NCAA pole vault title and also shattered the world record in the event twice.[5]

Five weeks after his Modesto jump, Sternberg was training in Hec Edmundson Pavilion in preparation for a trip to Russia. While performing a double somersault with a half twist, he landed awkwardly on his neck in the middle of the trampoline where a spotter could not help. Sternberg had performed the gymnastic move, called a fliffus, hundreds of times. The injury left him a quadriplegic, and his doctors were concerned for his survival days after his accident.

In 1996, Sternberg underwent surgery, performed by Dr. Harry Goldsmith in Germany, to improve the quality of his life. The operation on his spinal cord allowed Sternberg to breathe deeper and easier, to speak more clearly and with greater volume. Sternberg was also able to remain upright for longer periods which improved his feeling of well-being.

Sternberg's unusually long life as a quadriplegic was credited, in part, to his athletic training and to a positive attitude.

"Brian was given a very poor prognosis," said his mother, Helen, in 2003. "They said with his condition, he probably would have five years to live. But he's a fighter."[3]

In 2012, his heart and lungs began to fail. He died on May 23, 2013, aged 69.[2]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Brian Sternberg.
  1. ^ a b Brian Sternberg. trackfield.brinkster.net
  2. ^ a b Rudman, Steve (May 31, 2013). "Huskies vault legend Brian Sternberg (1943–13)". SportspressNW.com. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  3. ^ a b Raley, Dan (May 22, 2003). "Cruel Worlds: Forty years ago, promising UW track standouts fell from grace". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
  4. ^ Video on YouTube @ 1:44.
  5. ^ a b "12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009" (PDF). Monte Carlo: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. 2009. p. 555. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
Records
Preceded by
Finland Pentti Nikula
 Men's Pole Vault World Record Holder
April 27, 1963 – August 5, 1963 		Succeeded by
United States John Pennel
  • v
  • t
  • e
US National Championship winners in men's pole vault
1876–1878
New York Athletic Club
  • 1877: George McNichol
  • 1878: Alfred Ing
1879–1888
NAAAA
  • 1879–81: William Van Houten
  • 1882: B.F. Richardson
  • 1883–86: Hugh Baxter
  • 1887: Tom Ray (GBR) & Hugh Baxter
  • 1888Note 1: G.B. Quinn
1888–1979
Amateur Athletic Union
1980–1992
The Athletics Congress
1993–onwards
USA Track & Field
Notes
  • Note 1: In 1888 both the NAAAA and the AAU held championships
  • OT: The 1920, 1928, 1932, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 championships incorporated the Olympic Trials, otherwise held as a discrete event.
  • 2020 OT: The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.