Bill Payne

Bill Payne is a retired American pole vaulter born on December 21, 1967. He won the silver medal at the 1991 Summer Universiade and competed at the 1995 World Championships, though he did not reach the final in that competition.

Payne achieved a personal best of 5.86 metres in May 1991 in Houston, a height that places him thirteenth on the American all-time list behind legends including Jeff Hartwig, Tim Mack, Toby Stevenson, Brad Walker, and Lawrence Johnson. His vault secures him a place on the world all-time list in pole vault.

He is married with four children, and his athletic legacy continues through his daughter Demi Payne, who became one of the top ten female pole vaulters in history. The Payne family's contributions to American pole vaulting span multiple generations.