Nick Buckfield

Nick Buckfield
Personal information
Nationality	English
Born	5 June 1973 (age 50); Crawley, West Sussex
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Club	Crawley AC

Nicholas ("Nick") Jean Buckfield (born 5 June 1973) is an English former pole vaulter.

Athletics career[edit]

During his youth he was a talented footballer, turning down a youth training contract with Aldershot F.C. at the age of 16.^[1] He was educated at Brunel University London, where he studied Religious Studies and Sports Sciences.^[2] He finished fifth in the 1997 World Championships and narrowly missed out on medals at the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games.^[3] His career suffered setbacks due to a series of injuries, fracturing his pelvis whilst competing at the 1998 European Athletics Championships,^[1] suffering an abdominal injury after falling onto his pole at a meeting in Cottbus in 2004,^[4] and sustaining an Achilles tendon rupture in 2006. He retired from competition in 2008.^[3]

His personal best jump was 5.80 metres, achieved in May 1998 in Chania. This was a British national record, which he held for 14 years until Steven Lewis broke it in 2012.^[5] His indoor best was 5.81 metres, achieved in February 2002 in Bad Segeberg. This was also a British national record, and stood for 12 years until it was bettered by Luke Cutts in 2014.^[1]^[6]

Competition record[edit]

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Notes
Representing Great Britain and England
1992	World Junior Championships	Seoul, South Korea	12th	4.90 m
1994	Commonwealth Games	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	8th	5.20 m
1995	World Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	17th (q)	5.55 m
1996	European Indoor Championships	Stockholm, Sweden	7th	5.55 m
1996	Olympic Games	Atlanta, United States	21st (q)	5.40 m
1997	World Championships	Athens, Greece	5th	5.70 m
1998	European Indoor Championships	Valencia, Spain	17th (q)	5.55 m
1998	European Championships	Budapest, Hungary	17th (q)	5.30 m
1999	World Indoor Championships	Maebashi, Japan	–	NM
2001	World Championships	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada	22nd (q)	5.30 m
2002	European Indoor Championships	Vienna, Austria	14th (q)	5.40 m
2002	Commonwealth Games	Manchester, United Kingdom	4th	5.50 m
2003	World Championships	Paris, France	21st (q)	5.50 m
2004	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	21st (q)	5.60 m
2005	European Indoor Championships	Madrid, Spain	15th (q)	5.40 m
2006	Commonwealth Games	Melbourne, Australia	4th	5.35 m

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c Turnbull, Simon (20 February 2002). "Athletics: Buckfield lifts Britain out of the pole vault wilderness". independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
^ "Brunel athletes head for Melbourne". Brunel University London. 3 February 2006. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
^ ^a ^b Hollis, Steve (26 August 2008). "Buckfield bows out with regrets". The Argus (Brighton). Retrieved 3 February 2019.
^ "Buckfield in hospital". bbc.co.uk. 10 June 2004. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
^ "London 2012: Steven Lewis breaks British pole vault record". bbc.co.uk. 22 July 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
^ "Luke Cutts & John Lane set new British records". bbc.co.uk. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2019.

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[indy-1] Turnbull, Simon (20 February 2002). "Athletics: Buckfield lifts Britain out of the pole vault wilderness". independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2019.

[2] "Brunel athletes head for Melbourne". Brunel University London. 3 February 2006. Retrieved 23 January 2019.

[argus-3] Hollis, Steve (26 August 2008). "Buckfield bows out with regrets". The Argus (Brighton). Retrieved 3 February 2019.

[4] "Buckfield in hospital". bbc.co.uk. 10 June 2004. Retrieved 3 February 2019.

[5] "London 2012: Steven Lewis breaks British pole vault record". bbc.co.uk. 22 July 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2019.

[6] "Luke Cutts & John Lane set new British records". bbc.co.uk. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2019.

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