Sergei Bubka (Ukrainian: Сергій Бубка) (born December 4, 1963) is a retired Ukrainian pole vaulter. He represented the Soviet Union before its dissolution in 1991. He is widely regarded as the best pole vaulter ever and one of the best athletes of modern times. A womens 400m hurdles race on a typical outdoor red rubber track. ... The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were held in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. ... The Mens Pole Vault at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea had an entrylist of 21 competitors, with two qualifying groups (21 jumpers) before the final (15) took place on Wednesday September 28, 1988. ... The inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14. ... The 2nd World Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations were held in the Olympic Stadium in Rome, Italy between August 28 and September 6. ... The 3rd World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan between August 23 and September 1. ... The 4th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium, Stuttgart, Germany between August 13 and August 22. ... The 5th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden between August 5 and August 13. ... The 6th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece between August 1 and August 10. ... The 14th European Championships in Athletics. ... December 4th redirects here. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... Pole vaulting is an athletics event where competitors use a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar, similar to the high jump, but at much greater heights. ...

Bubka won 6 consecutive IAAF World Championships, an Olympics gold and broke the world record for men's pole vaulting 35 times (17 outdoor and 18 indoor records). He was the first to clear 6.0 metres and the first and only (as of January 2007) to clear 6.10 metres (20 feet).

He owns the current outdoor world record of 6.14 metres on 31 July 1994 in Sestriere, Italy and the current indoor world record of 6.15 meters on 21 February 1993 in Donetsk, Ukraine. July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 153 days remaining. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... Sestriere (French: Sestrières) is an alpine village in Italy, a [[comune of the Province of Turin, at 44°57′N 6°53′E, at 2035 m above sea-level, with 838 inhabitants (2003). ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Location Map of Ukraine with Donetsk highlighted. ...

Biography

Sergei Bubka was born and brought up in the city of Lugansk, Ukrainian SSR (now Luhansk, Ukraine). His father was a soldier and his mother a medical assistant. He commented that neither of them were active in sports. Sergei had a ferocious competitive spirit which was channeled into multiple sports until he met the pole vault coach Vitaly Petrov. Bubka started pole vaulting at the age of 10. In 1978 at an age of 15, Bubka moved to Donetsk, Ukraine with his coach for better training facilities. State motto: Пролетарі всіх країн, єднайтеся! Official language None. ... Lugansk (Ukrainian: Луганськ, Luhansk; Russian: Луга́нск, Lugansk) is a city in southeastern Ukraine. ... Vitaly Petrov (Russian: Виталий Петров, born September 8, 1984 in Vyborg) is a Russian auto racing driver. ... Location Map of Ukraine with Donetsk highlighted. ...

Pole Vaulting career

Sergei Bubka has an elder brother Vasiliy Bubka, who was also a pole vaulter. Vasiliy's personal best outdoors is 5.86 meters. Vasiliy Bubka (born 26 November 1960 in Voroshilovgrad) is a retired pole vaulter who represented the USSR and later Ukraine. ...

Sergei Bubka entered international athletics in 1981 participating in the European Junior Championships where he fetched a 7th place. But the 1983 World Championships held in Helsinki proved to be his actual entry point to the mainstream world athletics, where a relatively unknown Bubka snatched the gold clearing 5.70 metres (18 feet 8 inches). The years that followed witnessed the unparalleled dominance of Bubka on pole vaulting with him setting new records and standards in pole vaulting. The inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14. ... Founded 1550 Country Finland Province Southern Finland Region Uusimaa Sub-region Helsinki Area[1] - Of which land - Rank 185. ...

He set his first world record of 5.85m in 26 May, 1984 which he improved to 5.88m a week after and then to 5.90 m a month after. He cleared 6.00 metres (19 feet 8 inches) on 13 July 1985 in Paris. This height had long been considered unattainable. With virtually no opponents, Bubka improved his own record over the next 10 years till he reached his career best and the current world record of 6.14 m in 1994. July 13 is the 194th day (195th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 171 days remaining. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ...

He was the first and only (as of May, 2006) athlete ever to jump over 6.10 metres in San Sebastián, Spain in 1991. He set the current world record of 6.14 metres in 1994 after some commentators had already predicted the decline of the great sportsman. Bubka increased the world record by 21 centimetres (8 inches) in the 4 years between 1984 and 1988, more than other pole vaulters had achieved in the previous 12 years. He cleared the once considered unattainable height 6.00 meters (or better) on more than 44 occasions.

Bubka officially retired from his pole vault career in 2001. His son Sergei Bubka Jr. is a tennis player and is currently a regular in ATP's second string circuits. A tennis net Tennis is a game played between either two players (singles) or two teams of two players (doubles). Players use a stringed racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponents court. ... ATP may refer to: Chemistry/Biochemistry Adenosine triphosphate, the universal energy currency of all living organisms Companies Alberta Theatre Projects, a major Canadian theatre company. ...

IAAF World Championships

Bubka won the pole vault event in 6 consecutive IAAF World Championships In Athletics from 1983 to 1997:

Founded 1550 Country Finland Province Southern Finland Region Uusimaa Sub-region Helsinki Area[1] - Of which land - Rank 185. ... Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... City Center seen from Weinsteige Road Stuttgart Palace Square - New Palace Solitude Palace The 1956 TV Tower U.S. Army Kelley Barracks Stuttgart [], located in southern Germany, is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg with a population of 591,528 (as of April 2006) in the city... Location of Gothenburg in northern Europe Coordinates: Country Sweden County Västra Götaland County Province Västergötland Charter 1621  - Mayor Göran Johansson Area    - City 450 km²  (174 sq mi)  - Water 14. ... Athens (Greek: Αθήνα, Athína IPA: ) is the capital of Greece and one of the most famous cities in the world, named after goddess Athena. ...

Olympics Curse

Though he had complete dominance on pole vaulting at his time, he was highly unlucky in the Olympic Games. The first Olympics after his introduction into international athletics was in 1984, which was boycotted by the USSR along with the other Eastern Bloc countries. Two months before the games he vaulted 12 cm higher than the eventual Olympic gold medal winner Pierre Quinon. In 1988 Bubka entered the Seoul Olympics and won his only Olympic gold medal. In 1992 he failed to clear in his first 3 attempts and was out of the Barcelona Olympics. In Atlanta, 1996, a heel injury caused him to withdraw from the competition without making even one jump. In Sydney, 2000, he was disqualified from final after three attempts at 5.70 m. Pierre Quinon (born February 20, 1962) is a retired pole vaulter from France. ... The Games of the XXIV Olympiad were held in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. ... The 1992 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were held in 1992 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. ...

World record progression by Bubka

Bubka broke the world record for men's pole vaulting a total of 35 times in his career. He broke the outdoor world records 17 times and the indoor world records 18 times. The fact that most of the time he improved his own previous record proves the absolute dominance of Bubka in the event.

Statue "Serhij Bubka", Donetsk

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (496x1155, 38 KB) Description: de:Serhij Bubka-Statue at Donetsk Source: selbst fotografiert Date: created 21. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (496x1155, 38 KB) Description: de:Serhij Bubka-Statue at Donetsk Source: selbst fotografiert Date: created 21. ... Location Map of Ukraine with Donetsk highlighted. ... Sestriere (French: Sestrières) is an alpine village in Italy, a [[comune of the Province of Turin, at 44°57′N 6°53′E, at 2035 m above sea-level, with 838 inhabitants (2003). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Tronco Maestro Riviera: a pedestrian walk along a section of the inland waterway or naviglio interno of Padua The city of Padua (Lat. ... Street in the center of Dijon Arc de triomphe known as the Porte Guillaume, on Place Darcy in the center of Dijon Dijon and suburbs Cathédrale St Bénigne - Dijon Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dijon Dijon ( ) is a city in eastern France, the préfecture (administrative capital... Motto: FrÃ¥n arbetarstad till kunskapsstad (eng: From industrial city to knowledge city) Location of Malmö in northern Europe Coordinates: Country Sweden Municipality Malmö Municipality County SkÃ¥ne Province Scania Charter 13th Century  - Mayor Illmar Reepalu Area    - City 335. ... Formia is a small town/city on the Mediterranean Coast of Italy. ... Location Position of Moscow in Europe Government Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 1,081 km² Population  - City (2007)    - Density 10,469,000   9684. ... Shizuoka (静岡市; -shi) is the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Bratislava (see below for other names) is the capital of Slovakia, and the countrys largest city, with a population of some 450,000. ... Nickname: City of a Hundred Spires Motto: Praga Caput Rei publicae Location within the Czech Republic Coordinates: Country Czech Republic Region Capital City of Prague Founded 9th century  - Mayor Pavel Bém Area    - City 496 km²  (191. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Liévin is a chief canton and town in northern France, in the département of Pas-de-Calais (62). ... Berlin is the capital city and one of the sixteen states of the Federal Republic of Germany. ... Grenoble (Arpitan: Grasanòbol) is a city and commune in south-east France, situated at the foot of the Alps, at the confluence of the Drac into the Isère River. ... Geography > Europe > Spain > Basque Country > Guipúzcoa San Sebastián with sailboats Statue of Jesus on Urgull Mountain San Sebastián (Donostia in Basque) is the capital city of the province of Guipúzcoa, in the Spanish autonomous community of Basque Country. ... Volgograd (Russian: ), formerly called Tsaritsyn (Russian: ) (1598–1925) and Stalingrad (Russian: ) (1925–1961) is a city in and the administrative center of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. ... Osaka )   is the capital of Osaka Prefecture and the third-largest[1] city in Japan, with a population of almost 2. ... Torino or Turin is a major industrial city in north-western Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the west bank of the Po River. ... NY redirects here. ... Inglewood means Wood in the Corner. ... Saint Basils Cathedral Moscow (Russian/Cyrillic: Москва́, pronounciation: Moskva), capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva, and encompassing 878. ... This is about the Italian city of Milan. ... Location Ethnographic region AukÅ¡taitija County Vilnius County Municipality Vilnius city municipality Coordinates Number of elderates 20 General Information Capital of Lithuania Vilnius County Vilnius city municipality Vilnius district municipality Population About 600,000 in 2006 (1st) First mentioned 1323 Granted city rights 1387 Not to be confused with Vilnius...

Technique

Bubka possessed enormous strength, speed and gymnastic abilities. Reportedly his average speed during pole vaulting approach was 35.7 km/h (9.9 m/s, 22.2 mph) (which is very close to the average speed of a 100m sprinter). He gripped the pole higher than most vaulters to get extra leverage. Bubka had great strength and could use a relatively heavier pole for his weight for generating more recoil force. Along with these, his development and mastery of the Petrov/Bubka technical model is also considered as the key to his success. A technical model is a sequence of positions and pressures that describe the method and form of a style of pole vaulting. The Petrov/Bubka model is superior to many others today because it allows the vaulter to continuously put energy into the pole while constantly rising towards the bar. While most of the conventional models focus on heavy planting of the pole to the landing pad to create maximum bend in the pole even before they leave the ground, Petrov/Bubka model concentrates on driving the pole up rather than bending it while planting it on the landing pad. While the traditional models depended on the recoil by bending the pole, Petrov/Bubka model could exploit the recoil of the pole and it could exert more energy on the pole during the swinging action. Kilometre per hour (American spelling: kilometer per hour) is a unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector). ... Metre per second (U.S. spelling: meter per second) is an SI derived unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector), defined by distance in metres divided by time in seconds. ... Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ... 100 m is the classic sprint race distance. ...

Awards and Positions held

• Bubka won the Prince of Asturias Award in Sports in 1991.
• Bubka was awarded best sportsman of the Soviet Union for three years in a row from 1984 to 1986
• Bubka was voted Sportsman of the Year for 1997 by the influential newspaper L'Équipe
• Bubka was honored as the best pole vaulter of the last half century by Track & Field News
• Bubka was designated as an IAAF council member in 2001
• He is currently serving as the president of National Olympic Council (NOC) of Ukraine and is an IOC member
• Bubka was designated UNESCO Champion for Sport in 2003
• From 2002 to 2006, he had been a member of the Ukrainian Parliament and its committee on questions of youth policy, physical culture, sport and tourism.

The Prince of Asturias Awards (in Spanish: Premios Príncipe de Asturias) is a series of annual prizes given in Spain by the Fundación Príncipe de Asturias to individuals from around the world who make notable achievements in the sciences, humanities, or public affairs. ... LEquipe logo LÉquipe (French for the team) is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports. ... Track & Field News, the magazine, was founded in 1948 by brothers Bert Nelson & Cordner Nelson. ... The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) is the international governing body for the sport of athletics (known in the US as track and field). It was founded in 1912 at its first Congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation. ... Bold textralf is gay IOC redirects here. ... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ...

Quotes

• "I love the pole vault because it is a professor's sport.One must not only run and jump, but one must think. Which pole to use, which height to jump, which strategy to use. I love it because the results are immediate and the strongest is the winner. Everyone knows it. In everyday life that is difficult to prove." - Sergei Bubka
• "Here is a man who has personally altered his art form, changed the way competitors prepare for it and perform it, even the way spectators perceive it." - Gary Smith of Sports Illustrated about Bubka

The first issue of Sports Illustrated, August 16, 1954, showing Milwaukee Braves star Eddie Mathews at bat in Milwaukee County Stadium. ...

Bibliography

Sergei Bubka (1987). An Attempt is Reserved (in Russian). Moscow: Molodaya gvardiya. 

External links

• IAAF profile for Sergei Bubka
• A small video with the highlights of Bubka's career
• http://www.neovault.com/articles_bubka_speaks.asp