David Luther Roberts (born July 23, 1951) is an American retired pole vaulter and practicing physician. He won a silver medal at the 1971 Pan America Games and a bronze at the 1976 Olympics. Domestically he held the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

title in 1971–1973 and the AAU title in 1972 and 1974. He set two

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 ...

, in 1975 and 1976. Earl Bell and Dave Roberts 1976

During the 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials, Roberts broke his pole. His rival and then world record holder

Earl Bell 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. He also briefly held the world record in 1976, ...

lent him his pole, and Roberts won the Trials with a new world record of 5.70 m.Putnam, Pat (July 5, 1976
FLYING START TOWARD THE OLYMPICS
''Sports Illustrated'' At the Olympics, he and two other athletes cleared 5.50 m. He passed at 5.55 m and his rivals failed to clear that height. He was unable to clear the next height at 5.60 m, as it had begun to rain. He finished third on the attempts count. Roberts graduated from

Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...

in 1974. He graduated from the University of Florida College of Medicine in 1979, and is currently an assistant clinical professor of emergency medicine at that institution.

References

1951 births Living people American male pole vaulters Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in track and field Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1971 Pan American Games Rice Owls men's track and field athletes Rice University alumni Track and field athletes from Oklahoma World record setters in athletics (track and field) Medalists at the 1976 Summer Olympics Pan American Games medalists in athletics (track and field) Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States People from Stillwater, Oklahoma Medalists at the 1971 Pan American Games {{US-athletics-Olympic-medalist-stub