Derek Miles

Derek Miles is an American pole vaulter born on September 28, 1972, in Sacramento, California. Standing 191 cm, he grew up in Tea, South Dakota and attended Bella Vista High School in Fair Oaks, California before competing for the University of South Dakota.

Miles competed at three consecutive Summer Olympics, placing seventh in Athens 2004 and initially fourth in Beijing 2008. After Ukrainian Denys Yurchenko was disqualified for doping in November 2016, Miles received the Olympic bronze medal in April 2017, his most prestigious achievement. His personal best of 5.85 metres was set in September 2008 in Berlin.

Miles trained with legendary coach Earl Bell at Bell Athletics in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He is currently an assistant coach for the South Dakota Coyotes track and field team, sharing his experience and Olympic medal-winning expertise with the next generation of vaulters.