The men's pole vault at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on 20 and 22 August at the Beijing National Stadium.

[2] The event was won by Steven Hooker of Australia, the nation's first medal in the men's pole vault.

The bronze medal initially went to Denys Yurchenko of Ukraine, but was later stripped from him for doping offenses and reassigned to fourth-place finisher Derek Miles of the United States.

More than eight years after the competition, Yurchenko's doping sample was retested and he was found to have dehydrochlormethyltestosterone in his system.

[2] Uzbekistan made its men's pole vaulting debut after entering a vaulter in 2004 who did not start.

[3] Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) was able to enter up to three entrants providing they had met the A standard in the qualifying period (1 January 2007 to 23 July 2008).

NOCs were also permitted to enter one athlete providing he had met the B standard in the same qualifying period.

If fewer than 12 cleared that height, the top 12 (including ties, after applying the countback rules) advanced.

[6] Denys Yurchenko of Ukraine originally finished third, but in November 2016, it was announced that he tested positive for dehydrochlormethyltestosterone.