Earl H. Bell is a former world record holding pole vault

Pole vault

Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...

er from the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, winner of the bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics

1984 Summer Olympics

The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...

 and current coach to a number of the nation's top men and women vaulters. He was born in Ancón

Ancón, Panama

Ancón is a "corregimiento" in central Panama , northeast of the [town-]limits of the town of Balboa. Ancon Hill is also the name of a large hill that overlooks Panama City, and served as a form of protection from pirates, and sea invasion...

, Panama Canal Zone

Panama Canal Zone

The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...

.

At his last Olympic appearance, Bell finished fourth at the 1988 Summer Olympics

Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics - Men's pole vault

The men's pole vault at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea had an entry list of 21 competitors, with two qualifying groups before the final took place on Wednesday September 28, 1988.- Medalists :-Records:...

 in Seoul, South Korea. He held the world pole vaulting record for approximately a month in 1976 and set an American record of 19' 0 1/4" in San Jose, California

San Jose, California

San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...

 in 1984.

In 2002, Bell was inducted into the USATF National Track and Field Hall of Fame

National Track and Field Hall of Fame

The National Track and Field Hall of Fame located within the Armory Foundation at 216 Fort Washington Avenue, between 168th and 169th Streets, in Washington Heights, in the New York City borough of Manhattan, is a museum operated by The Armory Foundation in conjunction with USA Track & Field...

.

Coaching career

Bell established Bell Athletics outside of Jonesboro, Arkansas

Jonesboro, Arkansas

Jonesboro is a city in and one of the two county seats of Craighead County, Arkansas, United States. According to the 2010 US Census, the population of the city was 67,263. A college town, Jonesboro is the largest city in northeastern Arkansas and the fifth most populous city in the state...

 where he has coached Jeff Hartwig

Jeff Hartwig

Jeff Hartwig is an American pole vaulter.-Biography:In 1998, Hartwig set two North American records with 6.00 and 6.01 metres. The latter was an improvement of 16 centimetres from his personal best of 5.85 m from 1997...

, Derek Miles

Derek Miles

Derek Miles is an American pole vaulter, from Tea, South Dakota. A former pole vaulter for The University of South Dakota Track and Field team, Miles is currently an assistant coach for the Coyotes. Miles finished fourth in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. In 2004, he placed...

, Kellie Suttle

Kellie Suttle

Kellie Suttle is a retired female track and field athlete from the United States, who competed in the pole vault event....

 and Jillian Schwartz, among other top pole vaulters.

Rankings

Rare among vaulters, Bell managed to stay relatively healthy and productive for a long career, gaining US rankings among the best for 16 consecutive years in the Track and Field News annual rankings.

Year	Event	World ranking	US ranking
1975	Pole vault	3rd	1st
1976	Pole vault	4th	2nd
1977	Pole vault	4th	2nd
1978	Pole vault	-	5th
1979	Pole vault	-	5th
1980	Pole vault	-	6th
1981	Pole vault	6th	1st
1982	Pole vault	-	4th
1983	Pole vault	-	3rd
1984	Pole vault	7th	2nd
1985	Pole vault	-	4th
1986	Pole vault	5th	1st
1987	Pole vault	3rd	1st
1988	Pole vault	5th	2nd
1989	Pole vault	-	5th
1990	Pole vault	-	3rd