Earl Holmes Bell (born August 25, 1955) is a retired American pole vaulter. He competed at the 1976, 1984 and 1988 Olympics and won a bronze medal in 1984, placing fourth in 1988 and sixth in 1976.
Roberts (right) returns a borrowed pole to Bell at the 1976 Olympic Trials
Bell was born in Panama to William "Papa" K. Bell and Yola Zimmerman Bell. His father was a medical doctor, a Masters Record Holder pole vaulter,[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 title in 1975–77. He also won the AAU championships in 1976 and 1984, placing third in 1981. In addition to participating in the Olympics, Bell won a gold medal at the 1975 Pan American Games and finished fifth in 1991.[2]
Bell came to the 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials as the world record holder. At the trials, he lent his pole to David Roberts, who broke his pole. Roberts won the trials with a new world record,[6] and placed third at the Olympics, while Bell finished second and sixth, respectively.[2]
Bell is married and has three children: Drew, Sam, and Henry.[3]
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.[8]
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.
