Sergey Bubka facts for kids

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Sergey Bubka

Bubka in 2013
Personal information
Native name	Сергій Назарович Бубка
Full name	Serhiy Nazarovych Bubka
Nationality	Ukrainian
Born	(1963-12-04) 4 December 1963 (age 61) Luhansk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Education	PhD in pedagogy, physical culture
Alma mater	Ukrainian Academy of Pedagogical Science, Kyiv State Institute of Physical Culture
Years active	1981–2001
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	80 kg (176 lb)
Chair of the NOC of Ukraine
In office 23 June 2005 – 17 November 2022
Preceded by	Viktor Yanukovych
Succeeded by	Vadym Gutzeit
Sport
Country	Soviet Union (1981–1991)  Ukraine (1991–2001)
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Pole vault
Turned pro	1981
Coached by	Vitaly Petrov (first coach)
Retired	2001
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 Representing the  Soviet Union Olympic Games Gold 1988 Seoul Pole vault World Championships Representing the  Soviet Union Gold 1983 Helsinki Pole vault Gold 1987 Rome Pole vault Gold 1991 Tokyo Pole vault Representing  Ukraine Gold 1993 Stuttgart Pole vault Gold 1995 Gothenburg Pole vault Gold 1997 Athens Pole vault World Indoor Championships Representing the  Soviet Union Gold 1985 Paris Pole vault Gold 1987 Indianapolis Pole vault Gold 1991 Sevilla Pole vault Representing  Ukraine Gold 1995 Barcelona Pole vault European Championships Representing the  Soviet Union Gold 1986 Stuttgart Pole vault European Indoor Championships Representing the  Soviet Union Gold 1985 Athens Pole vault Goodwill Games Representing the  Soviet Union Gold 1986 Moscow Pole vault Representing  Ukraine Bronze 1994 Saint Petersburg Pole vault IAAF Grand Prix Final Representing the  Soviet Union Gold 1985 Rome Pole vault Gold 1987 Brussels Pole vault Gold 1991 Barcelona Pole vault Gold 1991 Barcelona Overall Bronze 1987 Brussels Overall Representing  Ukraine Gold 1993 London Pole vault Gold 1993 London Overall Gold 1997 Fukuoka Pole vault Silver 1995 Monaco Pole vault IAAF World Cup Representing the  Soviet Union Gold 1985 Canberra Pole vault European Cup Representing the  Soviet Union Gold 1985 Moscow Pole vault Representing  Ukraine Silver 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 famous Ukrainian former pole vaulter. He was known for breaking many world records in his sport. He competed for the Soviet Union until 1991, and then for Ukraine.

Bubka won six World Championships in a row and an Olympic gold medal. He broke the world record for men's pole vault 35 times! He was the first pole vaulter to jump over 6.0 meters and then 6.10 meters. He held the indoor world record of 6.15 meters for almost 21 years. He also held the outdoor world record at 6.14 meters for many years.

Besides his amazing sports career, Bubka has been a leader in athletics. He is a Senior Vice President of World Athletics (a global sports organization). He also led the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine from 2005 to 2022. He is an Honorary Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). His older brother, Vasiliy Bubka, was also a talented pole vaulter.

Sergey Bubka's Early Life and Career

Sergey Bubka was born in Luhansk, Ukraine. When he was young, he tried other sports like the 100-meter dash and long jump. But he became a world champion only when he started pole vaulting.

In 1983, he won his first big title at the World Championship in Helsinki, Finland. The next year, he set his first world record by clearing 5.85 meters (about 19 feet 2 inches). Until 1991, Bubka competed for Soviet teams. After the Soviet Union ended, he signed a contract with Nike. This deal gave him extra money for each new world record he set.

Sergey Bubka's son, Sergei Bubka (tennis), became a professional tennis player.

Bubka also served as a member of the Ukrainian parliament, called the Verkhovna Rada, from 2002 to 2006. He worked on committees related to youth, physical culture, sport, and tourism.

Sergey Bubka's Sporting Achievements

Sergey Bubka started competing internationally in 1981. He finished seventh in the European Junior Championship. His big breakthrough came at the 1983 World Championship in Athletics in Helsinki. There, a less-known Bubka won the gold medal, jumping 5.70 meters (about 18 feet 8 inches). After this, Bubka became incredibly dominant in pole vaulting. He kept setting new records and standards.

He set his first world record of 5.85 meters on May 26, 1984. He quickly improved it to 5.88 meters a week later, and then to 5.90 meters a month after that. On July 13, 1985, in Paris, he became the first person to clear 6.00 meters (about 19 feet 8 inches). Over the next 10 years, Bubka kept breaking his own record. His best jump was 6.14 meters (about 20 feet 1.75 inches) in 1994.

Bubka was the first athlete to jump over 6.10 meters. This happened in San Sebastián, Spain, in 1991. He increased the world record by 21 centimeters (about 8 inches) between 1984 and 1994. He cleared 6.00 meters or higher an amazing 45 times!

Bubka officially retired from pole vaulting in 2001. This was during a special event at his "Pole Vault Stars" meeting in Donetsk.

Olympic Challenges

Bubka faced some challenges at the Olympic Games. The first Olympics after he became famous was in 1984. However, the Soviet Union and many other countries boycotted these games.

In 1988, Bubka competed in the Seoul Olympics. He won his only Olympic gold medal there, clearing 5.90 meters. At the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, he surprisingly failed to clear any height in his first three tries. This meant he was out of the competition.

In 1996, at the Atlanta Olympics, he had a heel injury. This forced him to withdraw from the competition without even making an attempt. Finally, at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, he was eliminated from the final. He had three unsuccessful attempts at 5.70 meters.

World Championship Victories

Despite his Olympic challenges, Bubka was unbeatable at the IAAF World Championships. He won the pole vault event in six World Championships in a row. This incredible winning streak lasted from 1983 to 1997.

How Sergey Bubka Broke Records

Sergey Bubka broke the world record for men's pole vault 35 times! He set 17 outdoor world records and 18 indoor world records. He only lost his outdoor world record once. This happened on August 31, 1984, when Thierry Vigneron of France broke his record. But just minutes later, Bubka jumped even higher on the same runway and took the record back!

Outdoor Records

Height	Date	Place
6.14 m (20 ft 1+11⁄16 in)	31 July 1994	Sestriere
6.13 m (20 ft 1+5⁄16 in)	19 September 1992	Tokyo
6.12 m (20 ft +7⁄8 in)	30 August 1992	Padua
6.11 m (20 ft +5⁄8 in)	13 June 1992	Dijon
6.10 m (20 ft +3⁄16 in)	5 August 1991	Malmö
6.09 m (19 ft 11+13⁄16 in)	8 July 1991	Formia
6.08 m (19 ft 11+3⁄8 in)	9 June 1991	Moscow
6.07 m (19 ft 11 in)	6 May 1991	Shizuoka
6.06 m (19 ft 10+5⁄8 in)	10 July 1988	Nice
6.05 m (19 ft 10+3⁄16 in)	9 June 1988	Bratislava
6.03 m (19 ft 9+3⁄8 in)	23 June 1987	Prague
6.01 m (19 ft 8+5⁄8 in)	8 June 1986	Moscow
6.00 m (19 ft 8+3⁄16 in)	13 June 1985	Paris
5.94 m (19 ft 5+7⁄8 in)	31 August 1984	Rome
5.90 m (19 ft 4+5⁄16 in)	13 July 1984	London
5.88 m (19 ft 3+1⁄2 in)	2 June 1984	Paris
5.85 m (19 ft 2+5⁄16 in)	26 May 1984	Bratislava

Indoor Records

Height	Date	Place
6.15 m (20 ft 2+1⁄8 in)	21 February 1993	Donetsk
6.14 m (20 ft 1+11⁄16 in)	13 February 1993	Lievin
6.13 m (20 ft 1+5⁄16 in)	22 February 1992	Berlin
6.12 m (20 ft +7⁄8 in)	23 March 1991	Grenoble
6.11 m (20 ft +5⁄8 in)	19 March 1991	Donetsk
6.10 m (20 ft +3⁄16 in)	15 March 1991	San Sebastián
6.08 m (19 ft 11+3⁄8 in)	9 February 1991	Volgograd
6.05 m (19 ft 10+3⁄16 in)	17 March 1990	Donetsk
6.03 m (19 ft 9+3⁄8 in)	11 February 1989	Osaka
5.97 m (19 ft 7 in)	17 March 1987	Turin
5.96 m (19 ft 6+5⁄8 in)	15 January 1987	Osaka
5.95 m (19 ft 6+5⁄16 in)	28 February 1986	New York City
5.94 m (19 ft 5+7⁄8 in)	21 February 1986	Inglewood
5.92 m (19 ft 5+1⁄8 in)	8 February 1986	Moscow
5.87 m (19 ft 3+1⁄8 in)	15 January 1986	Osaka
5.83 m (19 ft 1+1⁄2 in)	10 February 1984	Inglewood
5.82 m (19 ft 1+1⁄8 in)	1 February 1984	Milan
5.81 m (19 ft +11⁄16 in)	15 January 1984	Vilnius

Bubka's Pole Vaulting Technique

Sergey Bubka statue, Donetsk

Bubka used a unique technique that helped him jump so high. He gripped the pole higher than most other vaulters. This gave him extra power.

He also used a special technique developed with his coach, Vitaly Petrov. This method allowed him to keep putting energy into the pole as he rose towards the bar. Most other techniques focused on bending the pole a lot before leaving the ground. Bubka's method focused on driving the pole upwards. He combined this with a very fast running speed. This helped him use the pole's springiness to push himself even higher.

Awards and Recognition

Sergey Bubka's incredible career earned him many awards and honors:

• L'Équipe Champion of Champions (1985)
• European Sportsperson of the Year (1985)
• Track & Field News Athlete of the Year (1988, 1991)
• United Press International Athlete of the Year Award (1991)
• Laureus World Sports Awards discretionary award winner (2008)

See Also

In Spanish: Serguéi Bubka para niños

• 6 meters club