Earl Bell
 Bell in 1976 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 25, 1955[1] |
| Height | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in)[2] |
| Weight | 77 kg (170 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | Pole vault |
| Club | Arkansas State Indians Pacific Coast Club, Long Beach[2] |
| Coached by | Guy Kochel[3] |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best | 5.87 m (1988)[1][2][4] |
Earl Holmes Bell (born August 25, 1955) is a retired American pole vaulter. He competed at the 1976, 1984, and 1988 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal in 1984. He finished sixth in 1976 and fourth in 1988.
Bell briefly held the world record in the pole vault in 1976. He later became a coach and trained several prominent American pole vaulters. In 2002, he was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]
Bell was born in Panama to William "Papa" K. Bell and Yola Zimmerman Bell. His father was a medical doctor, a masters record-holder in pole vaulting,[5] and attended the University of Arkansas. The family moved from Panama to Jonesboro, Arkansas, in 1960.
In 1973, Bell entered Arkansas State University. He graduated in 1988 with a BSc degree in accounting.[3] While attending Arkansas State, Bell won the NCAA pole vault title in 1975, 1976, and 1977. He also won the AAU championships in 1976 and 1984 and placed third in 1981. Bell won a gold medal at the 1975 Pan American Games and finished fifth at the 1991 Pan American Games.[2]
Bell entered the 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials as the world record holder. During the trials, he lent his pole to David Roberts, who broke it. Roberts won the trials with a new world record,[6] while Bell finished second. At the 1976 Summer Olympics, Roberts won the bronze medal and Bell finished sixth.[2]
Bell won the British AAA Championships title at the 1981 AAA Championships.[7][8][9]
Coaching career
[edit]After retiring from competition, Bell established Bell Athletics outside Jonesboro, Arkansas, where he coached Jeff Hartwig, Derek Miles, Kellie Suttle, Daniel Ryland, and Jillian Schwartz, among other pole vaulters.[1][10]
Bell is married and has three children: Drew, Sam, and Henry.[3]
Rankings
[edit]Bell remained highly ranked throughout his career, receiving U.S. rankings among the world's leading pole vaulters for 16 consecutive years in the annual rankings published by Track and Field News.[11]
| Year | Event | World ranking | U.S. 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 |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "Earl Bell". usatf.org.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Earl Bell". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020.
- 1 2 3 Hendricks, Nancy (2014) Earl Holmes Bell (1955–) in Encyclopedia of Arkansas
- ↑ "Earl Bell". trackfield.brinkster.net.
- ↑ Masters Athletics Pole Vault Rankings. Retrieved November 4, 2020
- ↑ Putnam, Pat. "FLYING START TOWARD THE OLYMPICS". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ↑ "Results". Sunday Sun (Newcastle). August 9, 1981. Retrieved June 13, 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ "AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists". National Union of Track Statisticians. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ↑ "AAA Championships (men)". GBR Athletics. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ↑ Earl Bell. bellathletics.com
- ↑ World Rankings Index — Men's Pole Vault. Track and Field News
External links
[edit]
- Bell Athletics Training and Camps
- Earl Bell at the USATF Hall of Fame (archived)
|
- USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners
- 1955 births
- Arkansas State Red Wolves men's track and field athletes
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1975 Pan American Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1991 Pan American Games
- Goodwill Games medalists in athletics
- Living people
- Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in track and field
- Medalists at the 1975 Pan American Games
- Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics
- Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field)
- Sportspeople from Jonesboro, Arkansas
- People from Panamá District
- Sportspeople from Panamá Province
- Track and field athletes from Arkansas
- World Athletics Indoor Championships medalists
- World record holders in masters athletics
- World record setters in the sport of athletics
- Competitors at the 1986 Goodwill Games
- NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners
- NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners
- 20th-century American sportsmen
- Competitors at the 1975 Summer Universiade