Billy Olson Explained

Birth Date:	19 July 1958
Birth Place:	Abilene, Texas, U.S.^[1]
Height:	188 cm
Weight:	73 kg
Sport:	Athletics
Event:	Pole vault
Club:	Mazda Optimist Track Club, Toronto
Pb:	5.93 m (1986)^[2]
Show-Medals:	yes

Billy Richard Olson (born July 19, 1958) is a retired American Olympic pole vaulter who held several world records, including the first 19-foot indoor pole vault.^{[2] [3] [4]} Olson finished 12th at the 1988 Summer Olympics, 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.^{[5] [6] [7]} He was Inducted into the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame, Class of 2012.^[8]

Notes and References

1. https://web.archive.org/web/20150720212511/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ol/billy-olson-1.html Billy Olson
2. http://trackfield.brinkster.net/Profile.asp?ID=4978&Gender=M Billy Olson
3. Al Pickett. "Abilene has produced more than its share of stars," Abilene Reporter-News, December 24, 1999.
4. Frank Litsky. "Billy Olson is inching ahead on way to a 19-foot vault," The New York Times, February 22, 1982, page C6, column 1 (late city final edition).
5. http://www.acu.edu/centennial/profiles/billy_olson.html ACU Centennial: Billy Olson
6. Ted Dunnam. "Coaching by Hood vaulted ACU over top," Abilene Reporter-News, June 25, 2000.
7. http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/men/pvusranking.pdf All-Time U.S. Rankings — Men’s Pole Vault
8. Web site: Txtfhalloffame . January 15, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170116170038/http://ttfca2.wixsite.com/txtfhalloffame/inductees . January 16, 2017 . dead .