# Christos Papanikolaou
**Christos Papanikolaou** (Χρήστος Παπανικολάου; born 1941 in Trikala, Thessalia) is a Greek former pole vaulter who set a world record of 5.49 m on 24 October 1970 and finished fourth in the [pole vault](https://www.edgepedia.org/pole-vault) at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. He was, according to the Hellenic Athletics Federation (SEGAS), the only Greek male track and field athlete to have set a world record in an open (men's) category.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/70822) • [2](https://www.segas.gr/athletes/christos-papanikolaoy/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1941, Trikala, Thessalia, Greece; 182 cm / 72 kg[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/70822) |
| Clubs | GS Trikalon, later Panathinaikos (PAO)[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/70822) • [3](https://olympicwinners.gr/%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%BF%CF%85-%CF%87%CF%81%CE%AE%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%82/) |
| World record | 5.49 m, 24 October 1970, Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus; broke Wolfgang Nordwig's 5.46 m and held the record until 8 April 1972[4](https://wiki.phantis.com/index.php/Pole_vault) • [5](https://www.hellenicaworld.com/Greece/Person/gr/ChristosPapanikolaou.html) |
| Olympic results | Pole vault: 18th (Tokyo 1964), 4th (Mexico City 1968), 11th (Munich 1972)[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/70822) |
| Major medals | European Championships silver, Budapest 1966 (5.05 m); Mediterranean Games gold 1967 Tunis and 1971 İzmir; Universiade silver 1970 Torino[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/70822) • [3](https://olympicwinners.gr/%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%BF%CF%85-%CF%87%CF%81%CE%AE%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%82/) |
| National dominance | 13 Greek titles from 1961 to 1977 and eight Balkan titles[3](https://olympicwinners.gr/%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%BF%CF%85-%CF%87%CF%81%CE%AE%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%82/) |
| Olympic honors | Greek flagbearer at the opening ceremonies of 1968 and 1972[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/70822) |
## Early career and rise to world class
Papanikolaou was born and raised in Trikala and began at GS Trikalon before joining Panathinaikos.[2](https://www.segas.gr/athletes/christos-papanikolaoy/) • [3](https://olympicwinners.gr/%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%BF%CF%85-%CF%87%CF%81%CE%AE%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%82/) He first entered the Greek record books on 26 July 1964, clearing 4.73 m in Cairo, and raised the national record to 4.92 m in Athens on 3 June 1965.[3](https://olympicwinners.gr/%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%BF%CF%85-%CF%87%CF%81%CE%AE%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%82/) At the Tokyo Olympics later that year he placed 18th and last in the final with 4.40 m.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/70822) • [6](https://athleticsweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/securepdfs/2025/06/Oct-31-1970-Vol-24-No-44.pdf)
His development accelerated in the United States. While studying at [Western Michigan University](https://www.edgepedia.org/western-michigan-university) under a US State Department exchange program in early 1966, he defeated [Bob Seagren](https://www.edgepedia.org/bob-seagren) and [John Pennel](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-pennel) indoors, and he later enrolled at San Jose State University in California, where coaching from Bud Winter helped his talent emerge; in May 1967 at San Jose he became the tenth man in the world to vault 17 feet (5.20 m).[6](https://athleticsweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/securepdfs/2025/06/Oct-31-1970-Vol-24-No-44.pdf)
## Championship medals and the 1968 Olympics
On 2 September 1966 Papanikolaou won the silver medal at the European Championships in Budapest with 5.05 m, a Greek record at the time; the gold went to his long-standing rival Wolfgang Nordwig of East Germany at 5.10 m, and Papanikolaou finished ahead of vaulters including Hervé d'Encausse of France and Renato Dionisi of Italy.[3](https://olympicwinners.gr/%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%BF%CF%85-%CF%87%CF%81%CE%AE%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%82/) That same year he also won the Balkan title with 5.00 m.[3](https://olympicwinners.gr/%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%BF%CF%85-%CF%87%CF%81%CE%AE%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%82/)
In August 1967 he set a Greek decathlon record at Neo Faliro and won the Greek championship in that event, and he took the [Mediterranean Games](https://www.edgepedia.org/mediterranean-games) title in Tunis.[3](https://olympicwinners.gr/%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%BF%CF%85-%CF%87%CF%81%CE%AE%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%82/) At the Mexico City Olympics on 16 October 1968 he cleared 5.35 m in the final, a mark Olympedia lists as a European and Greek record set during the competition, and finished fourth; the Greek account records that he missed the bronze medal to Nordwig, who cleared 5.40 m.[3](https://olympicwinners.gr/%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%BF%CF%85-%CF%87%CF%81%CE%AE%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%82/) • [1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/70822) He won Balkan gold again in 1969 at Sofia with 5.25 m and a second Mediterranean Games gold at İzmir in 1971.[3](https://olympicwinners.gr/%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%BF%CF%85-%CF%87%CF%81%CE%AE%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%82/) • [1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/70822)
## The world record
The record came at an Athens versus Belgrade international match at the [Karaiskakis Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/karaiskakis-stadium) on 24 October 1970. After clearing 5.00 m and 5.40 m by wide margins, Papanikolaou called for the bar to be raised to 5.47 m, one centimeter above Nordwig's pending world record, and succeeded at his first attempt; upon remeasurement the height was found to be 5.49 m, meaning he had broken the 18-foot barrier as well.[6](https://athleticsweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/securepdfs/2025/06/Oct-31-1970-Vol-24-No-44.pdf) The ERT archive records that the previous mark of 5.46 m belonged to Nordwig, and that no Greek track and field athlete had set a world record before.[7](https://www.ertnews.gr/arxeio-afierwmata/pagkosmio-rekor-tou-christou-papanikolaou-sto-alma-epi-konto-24-oktovriou-1970/) He held the record until 8 April 1972, when Sweden's Kjell Isaksson succeeded him.[5](https://www.hellenicaworld.com/Greece/Person/gr/ChristosPapanikolaou.html) In the same meeting, Pantelis Nikolaidis was second with 4.40 m and Pelopidas Iliadis third with the same height.[3](https://olympicwinners.gr/%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%BF%CF%85-%CF%87%CF%81%CE%AE%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%82/)
## Later career and recognition
Papanikolaou placed 11th in the pole vault final at the Munich Olympics in 1972 with 5.00 m.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/70822) • [8](https://olympiandatabase.com/da/olympic-summer-games-nations-greece-athletics-pole-vault-men-results?ref_src=legacy) Domestically he won 13 Greek titles between 1961 and 1977, with some interruptions, and was named Greek Athlete of the Year in 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1970.[3](https://olympicwinners.gr/%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%BF%CF%85-%CF%87%CF%81%CE%AE%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%82/) After retiring he worked as a coach and writer and later served as president of the Hellenic Olympic Winners Association (Σύλλογος Ελλήνων Ολυμπιονικών).[3](https://olympicwinners.gr/%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%BF%CF%85-%CF%87%CF%81%CE%AE%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%82/) His hometown of Trikala announced plans to erect a statue in his honor after the record.[6](https://athleticsweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/securepdfs/2025/06/Oct-31-1970-Vol-24-No-44.pdf)
## References
1. [Christos Papanikolaou, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/70822)
2. [Χρήστος Παπανικολάου, ΣΕΓΑΣ (Hellenic Athletics Federation)](https://www.segas.gr/athletes/christos-papanikolaoy/)
3. [Παπανικολάου Χρήστος, Σύλλογος Ελλήνων Ολυμπιονικών](https://olympicwinners.gr/%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%BF%CF%85-%CF%87%CF%81%CE%AE%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%82/)
4. [Pole vault, Phantis wiki](https://wiki.phantis.com/index.php/Pole_vault)
5. [Χρήστος Παπανικολάου, Helliniki Historia archive](https://www.hellenicaworld.com/Greece/Person/gr/ChristosPapanikolaou.html)
6. [Introducing The First 18-Foot Vaulter, Athletics Weekly, 31 October 1970](https://athleticsweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/securepdfs/2025/06/Oct-31-1970-Vol-24-No-44.pdf)
7. [Παγκόσμιο ρεκόρ του Χρήστου Παπανικολάου, ERT Archive](https://www.ertnews.gr/arxeio-afierwmata/pagkosmio-rekor-tou-christou-papanikolaou-sto-alma-epi-konto-24-oktovriou-1970/)
8. [Greece's All-time Results, Men's Pole vault, Olympian Database](https://olympiandatabase.com/da/olympic-summer-games-nations-greece-athletics-pole-vault-men-results?ref_src=legacy)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Athletics, gymnastics, and strength sports › Athletes of track and field and road running › Jumpers › Pole vaulters*
*Initially written Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license