Jan Johnson, the bronze medalist in the men's pole vault at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich and gold medalist at the 1971 Pan American Games, died Feb. 23 in Atascadero, California. He was 74. Born November 11, 1950, in Hammond, Indiana, Johnson was a standout competitor at Bloom High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois, winning the Illinois state title as a senior in 1968 and ending his prep career with a best of 15-4. Committed to the University of Kansas, Johnson took his prodigious talents to the Lawrence school and won the Kansas Relays crown as a freshman in 1969, clearing 16-4. As a sophomore the next year, he defended his Kansas Relays title and then captured NCAA gold with a 17-7 clearance at Des Moines. Due to inclement weather the event was moved indoors, and Johnson's mark bettered the world indoor record and set American and collegiate indoor records. Johnson transferred to Alabama the next year and was ineligible for NCAA competition but won the 1971 AAU outdoor gold with a 17-0 clearance and mounted the podium in Cali, Colombia later that summer after a 5.33/17-5.75 performance. An NCAA indoor title opened Johnson's senior season at Alabama in 1972, when he went over 17-1.25 at Detroit's Cobo Arena. He claimed silver at the NCAA outdoor meet in Eugene in June, behind Rice's Dave Roberts, and earned a berth on Team USA for the Munich Games with a third-place finish at the Olympic Trials, clearing a lifetime best of 18-0.5. In Munich, Johnson automatically advanced to the final after negotiating 5.10/16-8.75 on his second attempt. In the final he needed two tries at 5.20/17-0.75 and again had to make two attempts at 5.35/17-6.5. That height was good enough for bronze as only three men were able to clear it. Following his Olympic success, Johnson continued to compete for several years, and he earned a master's degree in biomechanics from Southern Illinois University. He ran a series of pole vault camps across the country and was one of the leading advocates for safety in the event. Johnson's "The Illustrated History of the Pole Vault" was published in 2007. Coach to many of the nation's best pole vaulters, Johnson was a popular speaker, and he published his memoirs in 2019 to critical acclaim. Father to UCLA vault star Chelsea Johnson, the women's 2009 World Championships pole vault silver medalist, Johnson ran Sky Jumpers Vertical Sports Club in Atascadero, where he helped develop some of the best vaulters in the world. His work with USATF in promoting safety spanned more than two decades. Services are pending.