The pole vault at the World Athletics Championships has been contested by men since 1983 and women since 1999. The competition format typically has one qualifying round contested by two groups of athletes, with all those clearing the qualifying height or placing in top twelve overall advancing to the final round.
The United States is the most successful nation in the event, winning a total of 17 medals, including 7 golds. Russia is the second-most successful nation, with 14 medals in total and 5 golds. The Soviet Union, Ukraine and Australia are the only two other nations that have won more than 2 gold medals. France is the most successful nation to have never won a gold medal, with 4 silvers and 5 bronzes, all in the men's event.
Sergey Bubka is the most successful athlete in the event, winning 6 gold medals in a row between the inaugural edition in 1983 and 1997. His 6 gold medals are more than any athlete has won in an individual event in World Athletics Championships history. Yelena Isinbayeva is the most successful athlete on the women's side, winning 3 gold and 1 bronze medal between 2003 and 2013. Four athletes have won two world titles: Sam Kendricks and Armand Duplantis on the men's side, and Stacy Dragila and Katie Moon on the women's side.
The championship records for the event are 6.21 for men, set by Armand Duplantis in 2022, and 5.01 m for women, set by Yelena Isinbayeva in 2005. The world record has been broken three times total at the World Championships: the men's record by Duplantis in 2022, and the women's record by Dragila and Isinbayeva in 1999 and 2005 respectively.
<sup>1</sup>Does not include ancillary marks