Charles Hoff

During his career Norwegian all-round track and field athlete Charles Hoff won ten national titles across four different events and set four world records in the pole vault. Hoff also worked as a coach, sports journalist, and sports administrator, with him later serving as the President of the National Olympic Committee of Norway. He won his first medal at the Norwegian championships in 1921 with silver in the pole vault before winning four consecutive titles from 1922 to 1925. He also won national titles in the 200 metres (1923–24), 400 metres (1924), and triple jump (1922–23), as well as a fifth pole vault title in 1933.

Hoff set a world record in the pole vault in July 1922 when he cleared 4.12 metres in København. Exactly one year later in the same city, he bettered his own world record with 4.21 metres, before improving his own mark on two occasions during 1925. His record of 4.25 metres stood until May 1927 when the American athlete Sabin Carr jumped 4.27 metres in Philadelphia. During this period Hoff competed at the 1924 Paris Olympics, finishing eighth in the 800 metres and reaching the semi-finals of the 400 metres. In late 1926 he toured the United States where he was paid to compete in exhibition events to make a living. As he was now being paid, this impacted Hoff’s eligibility to compete in the sport due to the rules around amateur competitors of the day. As a result he moved into journalism, becoming an editor of a sports magazine in addition to working as a coach.

Hoff was one of many Norwegian athletes to fight in the Norwegian Campaign during World War II. Under the German occupation of Norway he worked with the Nazis to organise sport in the country. Despite the nationwide boycott of sporting events due to Nazi interference Hoff continued to work in sporting administration roles, serving as the President of the Norwegian Olympic Committee from 1942 to 1944. Once the war had ended Hoff’s collaboration with the Germans during the occupation came back to bite him, and he was sentenced to nine years of forced labour. After his sentence he continued to work in publishing in addition to writing a crime novel, albeit under a pseudonym.

Personal Bests: 400 – 48.8e (1924); 800 – 1:55.9 (1923).