Billy Richard Olson (born July 19, 1958) is a retired American

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

pole vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the Myc ...

er who held several

world records A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

, including the first 19-foot indoor pole vault.Al Pickett
"Abilene has produced more than its share of stars,"
''Abilene Reporter-News'', December 24, 1999.Frank Litsky

''The New York Times'', February 22, 1982, page C6, column 1 (late city final edition). Olson finished 12th at the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

, and was to have been part of the U.S. team for the boycotted 1980 Summer Olympics. Olson vaulted for Abilene High School and Abilene Christian University, from which he graduated.ACU Centennial: Billy Olson
Ted Dunnam

''Abilene Reporter-News'', June 25, 2000.All-Time U.S. Rankings — Men’s Pole Vault
, ranked #1 in the world for 1982. He was Inducted into the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame, Class of 2012.

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* 1958 births Living people American male pole vaulters Olympic track and field athletes for the United States Sportspeople from Abilene, Texas Track and field athletes from Texas Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics Abilene Christian Wildcats men's track and field athletes {{US-polevault-athletics-bio-stub