Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Fred Hansen earns my respect on two fronts: he was a Rice University graduate, and he turned that mind toward the pole vault, one of the most technically brutal events in track. Winning gold at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics gives him a quiet bond with Japan that I find genuinely moving. The vault is never just power; it's calculus performed at sprint speed, ending with your body flung skyward on a flexing pole. Picturing this Texan raising the American flag over a Tokyo summer more than half a century ago, I feel something close to reverence for athletes who master fear and precision together.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Fred Hansen
- Name (Japanese)
- フレッド・ハンセン
- Reading
- ふれっど・はんせん
- Born
- January 29, 1940 (age 86)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Dragon
- Origin
- Cuero, Texas, United States
- Height
- 183 cm
- Occupation
- pole vaulter / athletics competitor
2. Background
- University
- Rice University
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Fred Hansen born?
Born January 29, 1940 (age 86).
Where is Fred Hansen from?
Fred Hansen is from Cuero, Texas, United States.
What does Fred Hansen do?
Fred Hansen works as pole vaulter, athletics competitor.
How tall is Fred Hansen?
Fred Hansen is 183 cm.
Athletics competitor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.