 | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 25 November 1941 Trikala, Greece | |||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||
| Weight | 72 kg (159 lb) | |||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||
| Country |  Greece | |||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||
| Event | Pole vault | |||||||||||
| Club | GS Trikalon, Panathinaikos | |||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||
| Highest world ranking | 1st | |||||||||||
| Personal best | 5.49 m (1970) | |||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||
Christos Papanikolaou (Greek: Χρήστος Παπανικολάου, born 25 November 1941) is a retired Greek pole vaulter. On 25 October 1970, he set the world record at 5.49 m (18 ft 0 in), significant to Americans as the first man to pole vault 18 feet. He competed at the 1964, 1968 and 1972 Olympics and finished in 18th, 4th and 11th place, respectively.[1] He won a silver medal at the 1966 European Championships. He was a two-time champion at the Mediterranean Games. He was named the Greek Athlete of the Year, for the years 1965, 1966, 1967, and 1970.