Robert Allen "Bob" Gutowski (25 April 1935 – 2 August 1960) was an American athlete who competed mainly in the pole vault. He competed for the United States in the

1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, whi ...

held in Melbourne,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

in the Pole Vault where he won the silver medal behind Bob Richards' second consecutive gold medal, after finishing fourth in the US Olympic Trials and only getting to the games on the withdrawal of Jim Graham. He attended

Occidental College Occidental College (informally Oxy) is a private liberal arts college in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887 as a coeducational college by clergy and members of the Presbyterian Church, it became non-sectarian in 1910. It is one of the oldes ...

in Los Angeles where he won the NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 1956 (tied) and 1957. He set the World Record in the pole vault on April 27, 1957. Later in 1957 he cleared the highest height ever cleared with a "straight" pole at 15'9.75" though that mark was never ratified as a World Record because the pole passed under the bar. In 1980, Bob Gutowski was inducted into the National Polish American Sports Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Occidental College Track and Field Hall of Fame. He was killed in a head-on collision by a drunk driver at Camp Pendleton on 2 August 1960 while serving as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserves.

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External links

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National Polish-American Sports HOF profile
* 1935 births 1960 deaths American male pole vaulters Olympic silver medalists for the United States in track and field Athletes (track and field) at the 1956 Summer Olympics American people of Polish descent Track and field athletes from California Road incident deaths in California Medalists at the 1956 Summer Olympics United States Marine Corps officers United States Marine Corps reservists {{US-athletics-Olympic-medalist-stub