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Sergey Bubka

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Sergey Bubka
Bubka in 2013
Personal information
Native nameСергій Назарович Бубка
Full nameSerhiy Nazarovych Bubka
NationalityUkrainian
Born (1963-12-04) 4 December 1963 (age 61)
Luhansk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
EducationPhD in pedagogy, physical culture
Alma materUkrainian Academy of Pedagogical Science, Kyiv State Institute of Physical Culture
Years active1981–2001
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight80 kg (176 lb)
Websitewww.sergeybubka.com
Chair of the NOC of Ukraine
In office
23 June 2005[1] – 17 November 2022[2]
Preceded byViktor Yanukovych
Succeeded byVadym Gutzeit[2]
Sport
Country Soviet Union (1981–1991)
 Ukraine (1991–2001)
SportAthletics
EventPole vault
Turned pro1981
Coached byVitaly Petrov (first coach)
Retired2001
Medal record
Men's athletics
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 1 0 0
World Championships 6 0 0
World Indoor Championships 4 0 0
European Championships 1 0 0
European Indoor Championships 1 0 0
Goodwill Games 1 0 1
IAAF Grand Prix Final 7 1 1
IAAF World Cup 1 0 0
European Cup 1 1 0
Total 23 2 2
Representing the  Soviet Union
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1988 Seoul Pole vault
World Championships
Representing the  Soviet Union
Gold medal – first place 1983 Helsinki Pole vault
Gold medal – first place 1987 Rome Pole vault
Gold medal – first place 1991 Tokyo Pole vault
Representing  Ukraine
Gold medal – first place 1993 Stuttgart Pole vault
Gold medal – first place 1995 Gothenburg Pole vault
Gold medal – first place 1997 Athens Pole vault
World Indoor Championships
Representing the  Soviet Union
Gold medal – first place 1985 Paris Pole vault
Gold medal – first place 1987 Indianapolis Pole vault
Gold medal – first place 1991 Sevilla Pole vault
Representing  Ukraine
Gold medal – first place 1995 Barcelona Pole vault
European Championships
Representing the  Soviet Union
Gold medal – first place 1986 Stuttgart Pole vault
European Indoor Championships
Representing the  Soviet Union
Gold medal – first place 1985 Athens Pole vault
Goodwill Games
Representing the  Soviet Union
Gold medal – first place 1986 Moscow Pole vault
Representing  Ukraine
Bronze medal – third place 1994 Saint Petersburg Pole vault
IAAF Grand Prix Final
Representing the  Soviet Union
Gold medal – first place 1985 Rome Pole vault
Gold medal – first place 1987 Brussels Pole vault
Gold medal – first place 1991 Barcelona Pole vault
Gold medal – first place 1991 Barcelona Overall
Bronze medal – third place 1987 Brussels Overall
Representing  Ukraine
Gold medal – first place 1993 London Pole vault
Gold medal – first place 1993 London Overall
Gold medal – first place 1997 Fukuoka Pole vault
Silver medal – second place 1995 Monaco Pole vault
IAAF World Cup
Representing the  Soviet Union
Gold medal – first place 1985 Canberra Pole vault
European Cup
Representing the  Soviet Union
Gold medal – first place 1985 Moscow Pole vault
Representing  Ukraine
Silver medal – second place 1993 Rome Pole vault
Updated on 8 September 2012

Sergey Nazarovych Bubka (Ukrainian: Сергій Назарович Бубка; Serhiy Nazarovych Bubka; born 4 December 1963) is a Ukrainian former pole vaulter. He represented the Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991. Bubka was twice named Athlete of the Year by Track & Field News,[3] and in 2012 was one of 24 athletes inducted as inaugural members of the International Association of Athletics Federations Hall of Fame.[4]

Bubka won six consecutive IAAF World Championships, an Olympic gold medal, and broke the world record for men's pole vault 35 times.[5] He was the first pole vaulter to clear 6.0 meters and 6.10 meters.[6][7]

He held the indoor world record of 6.15 meters, set on 21 February 1993 in Donetsk, Ukraine[8] for almost 21 years until France's Renaud Lavillenie cleared 6.16 meters on February 15, 2014, at the same meet in the same arena.[9] He held the outdoor world record at 6.14 meters between July 31, 1994,[10] and September 17, 2020.[11]

Bubka is Senior Vice President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), serving since 2007, and served as President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine from 2005 to November 2022. He is also an Honorary Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), having been involved since 1996. His older brother, Vasiliy Bubka, was also a medal-winning pole vaulter.

Biography

[edit]

Born in Luhansk, Sergey Nazarovych Bubka was a track-and-field athlete in the 100-meter dash and the long jump, but became a world-class champion only when he turned to the pole vault. In 1983, he won the world championship in Helsinki, Finland, and the following year set his first world record, clearing 5.85m (19 ft 2 in). Until the dissolution of the USSR in late 1991, Bubka competed for Soviet teams. By 1992, he was no longer bound to the Soviet system, and signed a contract with Nike.[12] that rewarded each world record performance with special bonuses of $40,000.[13]

His son, Sergei Bubka (tennis) is a former professional tennis player.

From 2002 to 2006, Bubka was a member of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada with the Party of Regions group and until 2014 an advisor to Viktor Yanukovych.[14] He was on the youth policy, physical culture, sport and tourism committee while a MVR.[15]

Bubka has been linked to business conducted in Ukraine’s Russian-occupied territories. On 5 March 2022, Bubka professed his love for his homeland after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, and declared: "Ukraine will win".[16]

Sporting career

[edit]

Sergey Bubka started competing on the international athletics scene in 1981 when he participated in the European Junior Championship finishing seventh. But the 1983 World Championship held in Helsinki was his actual entry point to the world athletics, where a relatively unknown Bubka snatched the gold, clearing 5.70 meters (18 feet 8 inches).[citation needed] The years that followed witnessed the unparalleled dominance of Bubka, with him setting new records and standards in pole vaulting.

He set his first world record of 5.85m on 26 May 1984 which he improved to 5.88m a week later, and then to 5.90m a month later. He cleared 6.00 meters (19 feet 8 inches) for the first time on 13 July 1985 in Paris.[7] Bubka improved his own record over the next 10 years until he reached his career best and the then world record of 6.14 m (20 feet 134 inches) in 1994. He vaulted on UCS Spirit poles throughout his later career.[17][18]

He became the first athlete ever to jump over 6.10 meters, in San Sebastián, Spain in 1991. Bubka increased the world record by 21 centimeters (8 inches) in the period from 1984 to 1994. He cleared 6.00 meters or better on 45 occasions.[19]

Bubka officially retired from pole vault in 2001 during a ceremony at his Pole Vault Stars meeting in Donetsk.[20]

Olympics curse

[edit]

The first Olympics after Bubka's introduction to the international athletics was held in 1984 and was boycotted by the USSR along with the majority of other Eastern Bloc countries. In 1988 Bubka competed in the Seoul Olympics and won his only Olympic gold medal clearing 5.90 meters. In 1992 he failed to clear in his first three attempts (5.70, 5.70, 5.75 meters) and was out of the Barcelona Olympics. At the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, a heel injury caused him to withdraw from the competition without any attempts. In 2000 at the Sydney Olympics, he was eliminated from the final after three unsuccessful attempts at 5.70 meters.[21]

IAAF World championships

[edit]

Bubka won the pole vault event in six consecutive IAAF World Championships in Athletics in the period from 1983 to 1997:

Year Competition Venue Position Winning height
1983 World Championships Helsinki 1st 5.70 m (18 ft 8+716 in)
1987 World Championships Rome 1st 5.85 m (19 ft 2+516 in)
1991 World Championships Tokyo 1st 5.95 m (19 ft 6+14 in)
1993 World Championships Stuttgart 1st 6.00 m (19 ft 8+14 in)
1995 World Championships Gothenburg 1st 5.92 m (19 ft 5+116 in)
1997 World Championships Athens 1st 6.01 m (19 ft 8+58 in)

World record progression

[edit]

Bubka broke the world record for men's pole vault 35 times during his career.[5] He broke the outdoor world record 17 times and the indoor world record 18 times. Bubka lost his outdoor world record only once in his career. After Thierry Vigneron, of France, broke his record on August 31, 1984 at the Golden Gala international track meet in Rome, Bubka subsequently reclaimed the record on his next attempt on the same runway minutes later.[22]

Outdoor
Height Date Place
6.14 m (20 ft 1+34 in) 31 July 1994 Italy Sestriere
6.13 m (20 ft 1+516 in) 19 September 1992 Japan Tokyo
6.12 m (20 ft 1516 in) 30 August 1992 Italy Padua
6.11 m (20 ft 916 in) 13 June 1992 France Dijon
6.10 m (20 ft 316 in) 5 August 1991 Sweden Malmö
6.09 m (19 ft 11+34 in) 8 July 1991 Italy Formia
6.08 m (19 ft 11+38 in) 9 June 1991 Soviet Union Moscow
6.07 m (19 ft 11 in) 6 May 1991 Japan Shizuoka
6.06 m (19 ft 10+916 in) 10 July 1988 France Nice
6.05 m (19 ft 10+316 in) 9 June 1988 Czechoslovakia Bratislava
6.03 m (19 ft 9+38 in) 23 June 1987 Czechoslovakia Prague
6.01 m (19 ft 8+58 in) 8 June 1986 Soviet Union Moscow
6.00 m (19 ft 8+14 in) 13 June 1985 France Paris
5.94 m (19 ft 5+78 in) 31 August 1984 Italy Rome
5.90 m (19 ft 4+516 in) 13 July 1984 United Kingdom London
5.88 m (19 ft 3+12 in) 2 June 1984 France Paris
5.85 m (19 ft 2+516 in) 26 May 1984 Czechoslovakia Bratislava
Indoor
Height Date Place
6.15 m (20 ft 2+18 in) 21 February 1993 Ukraine Donetsk
6.14 m (20 ft 1+34 in) 13 February 1993 France Lievin
6.13 m (20 ft 1+516 in) 22 February 1992 Germany Berlin
6.12 m (20 ft 1516 in) 23 March 1991 France Grenoble
6.11 m (20 ft 916 in) 19 March 1991 Soviet Union Donetsk
6.10 m (20 ft 316 in) 15 March 1991 Spain San Sebastián
6.08 m (19 ft 11+38 in) 9 February 1991 Soviet Union Volgograd
6.05 m (19 ft 10+316 in) 17 March 1990 Soviet Union Donetsk
6.03 m (19 ft 9+38 in) 11 February 1989 Japan Osaka
5.97 m (19 ft 7+116 in) 17 March 1987 Italy Turin
5.96 m (19 ft 6+58 in) 15 January 1987 Japan Osaka
5.95 m (19 ft 6+14 in) 28 February 1986 United States New York City
5.94 m (19 ft 5+78 in) 21 February 1986 United States Inglewood
5.92 m (19 ft 5+116 in) 8 February 1986 Soviet Union Moscow
5.87 m (19 ft 3+18 in) 15 January 1986 Japan Osaka
5.83 m (19 ft 1+12 in) 10 February 1984 United States Inglewood
5.82 m (19 ft 1+18 in) 1 February 1984 Italy Milan
5.81 m (19 ft 34 in) 15 January 1984 Soviet Union Vilnius

Technique

[edit]
Sergey Bubka statue, Donetsk

Bubka gripped the pole higher than most vaulters to get extra leverage, though Bubka himself played down the effect of grip alone.[23]

His development of the Petrov/Bubka technical model is also considered a key to his success.[24] The Petrov/Bubka model allows the vaulter to continuously put energy into the pole while rising towards the bar.[citation needed] Most conventional models focus on creating maximum bend in the pole before leaving the ground, by planting the pole heavily in the pole vault box. The Petrov/Bubka model follows the technique used by Kjell Isaksson,[25][26][27][28] which concentrates on driving the pole up, rather than bending it while planting it on the landing pad, combined with high running speed. While the traditional models depended on the recoil by bending the pole, the Petrov/Bubka model may exploit the recoil of the pole and exert more energy on the pole during the swinging action.[citation needed]

Recognition

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Ten years ago Serhiy Bubka was placed in charge of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine". Unian. 22 June 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Gutzeit becomes new President of National Olympic Committee". Interfax-Ukraine. 17 November 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Track and Field Athlete of the Year". Trackandfieldnews.com. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  4. ^ "Hall of Fame | Athletes". Iaaf.org. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Bubka says farewell". BBC News. 4 February 2001. Retrieved 26 August 2007.
  6. ^ "Top Lists: Pole Vault". IAAF.org. Retrieved 29 June 2009. (Indoor)
  7. ^ a b "Top Lists: Pole Vault". IAAF.org. Retrieved 29 June 2009. (Outdoor)
  8. ^ "RENAUD LAVILLENIE SETS POLE VAULT WORLD RECORD OF 6.16M IN DONETSK – UPDATED". IAAF. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  9. ^ "RENAUD LAVILLENIE SETS POLE VAULT WORLD RECORD OF 6.16M IN DONETSK – UPDATED". IAAF. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  10. ^ "Pole Vault – men – senior – outdoor". Iaaf.org. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  11. ^ "World Records". Iaaf.org. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  12. ^ Sandomir, Richard (12 April 1992). "OLYMPICS; Top Athletes Are Being Wooed to Fill Some Big Shoes". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  13. ^ O'Connor, Ian (1 August 1996). "Sore Bubka cannot soar". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  14. ^ "Discover Monaco > Celebrities > Sports Personalities > Sergey Bubka". Monaco Tribune. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  15. ^ Fernando, Shemal (12 December 2021). "Sergey Bubka broke the world record 35 times". Sunday Observer. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  16. ^ Mackay, Duncan (5 March 2022). "Bubka insists "Ukraine will win" after declaring love for country". Inside the Games.
  17. ^ Price, David (4 August 2017). "Carson Valley has a new 'Spirit'". The Record-Courier. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  18. ^ "A Family Company". ucsspirit. UCS Spirit. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  19. ^ "The Legendary Sergey Bubka". Insideathletics.com.au. 3 April 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  20. ^ "Greatest Pole Vaulter Bubka Retires at 37". Los Angeles Times. 5 February 2001. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  21. ^ "Sydney 2000 results". IAAF.org. Archived from the original on 22 November 2007. Retrieved 26 August 2007.
  22. ^ "Bubka finishes". Associated Press. 1 September 1984. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  23. ^ "On the Road to Atlanta". The Ukrainian Weekly. 2 June 1996. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 27 August 2007.
  24. ^ Ebbetts, Russ (Winter 2020). "TECHNIQUE V. STYLE" (PDF). TrackandFieldNews.com. Track & Field News. Retrieved 9 September 2023. In reality a technical model can be a simple concept. Generally speaking, there is a "right way or wrong way" to do things. Where it gets fuzzy is with the varying schools of thought, gurus and programs that may champion technical nuances that identify "their brand" of shot putting, pole vaulting or whatever.
  25. ^ "Pole vault plant by Kjell Isaksson". YouTube. 17 February 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  26. ^ "Kjell Isaksson - pole vault 5.54m - 15/4/1972 on Vimeo". Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  27. ^ "On successive weekends, Vaulter Kjell Isaksson exceeded a - 04.24.72 - SI Vault". Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  28. ^ "Looking for old footage/information on kjell isaksson(FOUND)". PoleVaultPower.com. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  29. ^ List of L’Équipe World Champion of Champions. Who Holds the Title (2012-10-06). Retrieved on 2024-09-05
  30. ^ "United Press International Male Athlete of the Year". Topend Sports. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  31. ^ "The winners for the year 2008 were". Laureus. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
[edit]
Civic offices
Preceded by President of Ukrainian NOC
2005–present
Succeeded by
Incumbent
Records
Preceded by Men's Pole Vault World Record Holder
26 May – 31 August 1984
31 August 1984 – 15 February 2014
Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's Pole Vault Indoor World Record Holder
15 January – 4 March 1984
15–17 January 1986
8 February 1986
21 February 1986 – 22 January 1989
11 February 1989 – 15 February 2014
Succeeded by
Awards and achievements
Preceded by L'Équipe Champion of Champions
1985
1997
Succeeded by
Preceded by Gazzetta dello Sport
Sportsman of the Year

1985
Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Year
1988
1991
Succeeded by
Preceded by United Press International
Athlete of the Year

1991
Succeeded by
Preceded by Prince of Asturias Award for Sports
1991
Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by Men's Pole Vault Best Year Performance
1984–1989
1991–1994
1996–1997
Succeeded by
Olympic Games
Preceded by
None
Flagbearer for  Ukraine
Atlanta 1996
Succeeded by