The event that most has to be taken in context

This would probably be the pole vault, due to the vast changes there have been in the physical qualities of the poles themselves. It is just not possible to compare someone with a bamboo or steel pole to the modern, high-tech fiberglass poles. For example, Cornelius Warmerdam was the first vaulter to clear 15 feet, and broke his own mark two other times. That height pales in comparison to the 20 feet-plus that stands today, but consider that Warmerdam vaulted throughout his career with a bamboo pole.