For the second straight Games, the American team went 1–2, this time with Bob Gutowski taking silver.

It was not as easy for him in the qualifying round when Richards struggled at 4.00, well below his normal opening height, missing his first two attempts before clearing it on his last.

At 4.53m, again Gutowski and Richards cleared on their first attempt, but Roubanis couldn't get over the bar and had to settle for bronze.

Gutowski finished fourth at the 1956 Olympic Trials and only received his spot in Melbourne after Jim Graham was forced to withdraw with an injury.

The returning finalists from the 1952 Games were gold medalist Bob Richards of the United States, bronze medalist Ragnar Lundberg of Sweden, and ninth-place finisher George Mattos of the United States.

Others expecting to content were Richard's teammates (Bob Gutowski and Mattos), as well as the 1950 and 1954 European champions, Lundberg and Eeles Landström respectively.

The United States made its 13th appearance, the only nation to have competed at every Olympic men's pole vault to that point.