Alabama Track and Field Mourns the Passing of Former Program National Champion, Olympic Bronze Medalist Jan Johnson
2/25/2025 1:38:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country
Johnson, who won bronze in the men's pole vault at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich and 1972 NCAA indoor national champion at Alabama, passed away Feb. 23 in Atascadero, Calif., at the age of 74
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama track and field legend Jan Johnson, a 1972 NCAA indoor national champion at Alabama and the 1972 Munich Olympics bronze medalist in men's pole vault, passed away Feb. 23 at the age of 74.
Jan Johnson – A Lifetime of Success
- Born Nov. 11, 1950 in Hammond, Ind., Johnson won the Illinois state title as a senior at Bloom High School in Chicago Heights, Ill.
- First committed to Kansas, the pole vaulter won the Kansas Relays crown in 1969 his rookie season, clearing 4.97m | 16-4
- As a sophomore at Kansas, Johnson defended his Kansas Relays title before winning NCAA gold via a 5.35-meter (17-7) clearance
- The event was moved indoors due to inclement weather, as his mark bettered the world indoor record and broke both national and collegiate indoor records
- Johnson arrived to The Capstone the next year, though was ineligible for NCAA competition
- Won the 1971 AAU outdoor gold medal behind a 5.18-meter (17-0) clearance
- In 1972, Johnson claimed the NCAA indoor title where he soared to a 5.21-meter (17-1.25) mark at Detroit's Cobo Arena
- Later that outdoor season, he captured silver in Eugene, Ore., before clinching a berth with Team USA for the 1972 Munich Games via a third-place, 5.49-meter (18-0.50) clearance at the Olympic Trials
- In Munich, Johnson was one of only three men to clear the 5.34-meter (17-6.50) height, capturing Olympic bronze
- Earned a master's degree in biomechanics from Southern Illinois
- Ran a series of pole vault camps, across the country, and was consistently a leading advocate for safety in the pole vault event
- Published "The Illustrated History of the Pole Vault" in 2007, was a coach to several of the nation's top pole vaulters, was a prominent speaker and published memoirs in 2019 to critical acclaim
- Was the father to UCLA vault standout Chelsea Johnson, 2009 women's World Championships silver medalist in pole vault
- Ran Sky Jumpers Vertical Sports Club, located in Atascadero, helping develop several of the world's best vaulters
- Johnson's work and efforts with USATF promoting safety of the event spanned across more than two decades
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