Earle Elmer Meadows (June 29, 1913 – November 11, 1992) was an American pole vaulter who won a gold medal at the 1936 Olympics. His winning vault is featured in Leni Riefenstahl's film Olympia.
Meadows had a long rivalry with Bill Sefton, his teammate from the University of Southern California. They shared the AAU title in 1935 and the NCAA title in 1935 and 1936. In May 1937 they both set a new world record at 4.48 m and then at 4.54 m. Meadows set two more world records (indoor) in 1941, winning three more times.. In 1948 he cleared 4.42 m, but later finished only sixth at the Olympic trials and thus was left out of the Olympic team. In retirement he ran a musical instrument business in Texas.[2] He was Inducted into the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame, Class of 2016.[3]
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.
