Question: What Texas-born pole vaulter was the last person to win an Olympic gold in the event using a bamboo pole?
Answer: Guinn Smith. Born in McKinney in 1920, he attended UC Berkeley and tied for the NCAA national championship in 1941. After graduating, he served as a pilot in Asia during World War II. After the war, he returned to competition and won gold on his last attempt at the 1948 Olympics in London.
