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class='container'> <ol class='breadcrumb'> <li> <a href='/'>Home</a> </li> <li><a href="/athletes">Athletes</a></li><li class="active">Sergey Bubka</li> </ol> <div class='athlete_header'> <div> <h1> Sergey Bubka </h1> <form action='/athlete_merges/77394/edit' class='form-inline' method='get'> </form> </div> </div> <div class='athlete_bio'> <div class='athlete_photo_bio'> <a href='https://d2a3o6pzho379u.cloudfront.net/77394.jpg' rel='lightbox' title='Photo of Sergey Bubka'> <img class='photo' src='https://d2a3o6pzho379u.cloudfront.net/77394.jpg'> </a> <div> <h2> Biographical information </h2> <table class='biodata'> <tr><th>Roles</th><td>Competed in Olympic Games • Non-starter • Other • Administrator</td></tr> <tr><th>Sex</th><td>Male</td></tr> <tr><th>Full name</th><td>Serhiy Nazarovych "Sergey"•Bubka</td></tr> <tr><th>Used name</th><td>Sergey•Bubka</td></tr> <tr><th>Original name</th><td>Сергій Назарович•Бубка</td></tr> <tr><th>Other names</th><td>Sergey Nazarovich Bubka, Сергей Назарович Бубка</td></tr> <tr><th>Born</th><td>4 December 1963 in <a href="/place_names/4497">Luhansk, Luhansk (UKR)</a></td></tr> <tr><th>Measurements</th><td>183 cm / 80 kg</td></tr> <tr><th>Affiliations</th><td>Spartak Donetsk/Donetsk U.</td></tr> <tr><th>NOC</th><td><img style="padding-right: 2px; vertical-align: middle" src="https://olympedia-flags.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/URS.png" /> <a href="/countries/URS">Soviet Union</a> <img style="padding-right: 2px; vertical-align: middle" src="https://olympedia-flags.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/UKR.png" /> <a href="/countries/UKR">Ukraine</a> <img style="padding-right: 2px; vertical-align: middle" src="https://olympedia-flags.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/EUN.png" /> <a href="/countries/EUN">Unified Team</a></td></tr> <tr><th>Nationality</th><td><img style="padding-right: 2px; vertical-align: middle" src="https://olympedia-flags.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/UKR.png" /> <a href="/countries/UKR">Ukraine</a></td></tr> </table> </div> </div> <table class='athlete_sidebar'> <tbody> <tr> <td> <b>Medals</b> </td> <td>OG</td> </tr> <tr> <td><span class="Gold">Gold</span></td> <td>1</td> </tr> <tr> <td><span class="Silver">Silver</span></td> <td>0</td> </tr> <tr> <td><span class="Bronze">Bronze</span></td> <td>0</td> </tr> <tr> <td class='border-top'>Total</td> <td class='border-top'>1</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> <h2> Biography </h2> <div class='description'> <p>Sergey Bubka is considered by many athletics historians as the most dominant pole vaulter of all-time. Bubka took up athletics in 1973 at age nine and initially did sprints and long jumping, but switched to pole vaulting in 1974. He was the first athlete to use the Petrov/Bubka technique, partly named for his coach, which allowed him to grip the pole higher than most vaulters.</p> <p>Bubka first competed internationally as a senior at the 1983 World Championships, where he emerged victorious. He went on to win five more World titles in 1987, 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1997. Despite his dominance, however, Bubka struggled at the Olympics, and won only one medal. After missing the 1984 Games due to the Soviet boycott and placing second in the pole vault at the Friendship Games, Bubka won an expected gold medal in Seoul in 1988. In Barcelona in 1992, however, Bubka was one of the Games’ major disappointments, missing his starting height in the final. Injury prevented him from competing in Atlanta, and at the Sydney Games in 2000, by then past his prime, he was eliminated in qualification.</p> <p>Bubka won numeous other titles, including the World Indoors in 1985, 1987, 1991 and 1995; the 1986 European title; the 1985, 1987, 1991 and 1995 European Indoors; the 1986 Goodwill Games; the 1985 World Cup; the 1985 European Cup; and the 1985 and 1997 Grand Prix finals. He also broke the world record 28 times (17 outdoor, 11 indoor), usually bettering it by just a centimetre, as he collected bonus money for each improvement. He broke his first world record in May 1984 (5.85) and was the first vaulter to clear 6 metres in June 1985, in Paris; and 20 feet (6.10) in August 1991 in Malmö, Sweden. Bubka set his final world record of 6.15 in February 1993 in Donetsk which stood almost 21 years.</p> <p>Bubka retired from athletics in 2001 and then embarked on a career in sports administration and politics. Already a member of the IOC Athlete’s Commission, he became president of the Ukrainian NOC and a full member of the IOC in 2005. In 2013, he ran for IOC President, but lost out to <a href="/athletes/22240">Thomas Bach</a>. Bubka was the IOC Executive Board athletes’ representative from 2000-07 and from 2012-20 was a member of the Executive Board. Since 2001, Bubka has been an IAAF council member and in 2011 was elected as an IAAF vice-president. From 2002-06, Bubka served in the Ukrainian parliament and on its Committee on youth policy, physical culture, sport and tourism. In 2014 he ran for IAAF President, but lost that election to <a href="">Sebastian Coe</a>.</p> <p>Personal Best: PV – 6.15i (1993).</p> </div> <h2>Results</h2> <table class='table'> <thead> <tr> <th>Games</th> <th>Discipline (Sport) / Event</th> <th>NOC / Team</th> <th>Pos</th> <th>Medal</th> <th> Nationality <a href="/static/faq"><span class="glyphicon glyphicon-question-sign"></span></a> </th> <th>As</th> <th></th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr class='active'> <td> <a href="/editions/22">1988 Summer Olympics</a> </td> <td><a href="/sports/ATH">Athletics</a></td> <td><a href="/countries/URS"><img style="padding-right: 2px; vertical-align: middle" src="https://olympedia-flags.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/URS.png" />URS</a></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td><a href="/countries/UKR"><img style="padding-right: 2px; vertical-align: middle" src="https://olympedia-flags.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/UKR.png" />UKR</a></td> <td>Sergey Bubka</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td> <a href="/results/63462">Pole Vault, Men</a> <small>(Olympic)</small> </td> <td></td> <td>1</td> <td><span class="Gold">Gold</span></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr class='active'> <td> <a href="/editions/23">1992 Summer Olympics</a> </td> <td><a href="/sports/ATH">Athletics</a></td> <td><a href="/countries/EUN"><img style="padding-right: 2px; vertical-align: middle" src="https://olympedia-flags.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/EUN.png" />EUN</a></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td><a href="/countries/UKR"><img style="padding-right: 2px; vertical-align: middle" src="https://olympedia-flags.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/UKR.png" />UKR</a></td> <td>Sergey Bubka</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td> <a href="/results/64137">Pole Vault, Men</a> <small>(Olympic)</small> </td> <td></td> <td>AC r2/2</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr class='active'> <td> <a href="/editions/24">1996 Summer Olympics</a> </td> <td><a href="/sports/ATH">Athletics</a></td> <td><a href="/countries/UKR"><img style="padding-right: 2px; vertical-align: middle" src="https://olympedia-flags.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/UKR.png" />UKR</a></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>Sergey Bubka</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td> <a href="/results/64828">Pole Vault, Men</a> <small>(Olympic)</small> </td> <td></td> <td><span class="label label-primary"><abbrev title="Did Not Start">DNS</abbrev></span></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr class='active'> <td> <a href="/editions/25">2000 Summer Olympics</a> </td> <td><a href="/sports/ATH">Athletics</a></td> <td><a href="/countries/UKR"><img style="padding-right: 2px; vertical-align: middle" src="https://olympedia-flags.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/UKR.png" />UKR</a></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>Sergey Bubka</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td> <a href="/results/65488">Pole Vault, Men</a> <small>(Olympic)</small> </td> <td></td> <td>AC r1/2</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h2>Organization roles</h2> <table class='table table-striped'> <thead> <tr> <th>Role</th> <th>Organization</th> <th>Tenure</th> <th>NOC</th> <th>As</th> <th></th> </tr> </thead> <tr> <td>Executive Board Athletes Representative</td> <td><a href="/organizations/1">International Olympic Committee</a></td> <td>2000—2007</td> <td><a href="/countries/UKR"><img style="padding-right: 2px; vertical-align: middle" src="https://olympedia-flags.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/UKR.png" />UKR</a></td> <td>Sergey Bubka</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Athlete</td> <td><a href="/organizations/1">International Olympic Committee</a></td> <td>2000—2008</td> <td><a href="/countries/UKR"><img style="padding-right: 2px; vertical-align: middle" src="https://olympedia-flags.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/UKR.png" />UKR</a></td> <td>Sergey Bubka</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>President</td> <td><a href="/organizations/268">National Olympic Committee of Ukraine</a></td> <td>2005—2022</td> <td><a href="/countries/UKR"><img style="padding-right: 2px; vertical-align: middle" src="https://olympedia-flags.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/UKR.png" />UKR</a></td> <td>Sergey Bubka</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>NOC</td> <td><a href="/organizations/1">International Olympic Committee</a></td> <td>2008—2018</td> <td><a href="/countries/UKR"><img style="padding-right: 2px; vertical-align: middle" src="https://olympedia-flags.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/UKR.png" />UKR</a></td> <td>Sergey Bubka</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Executive Board Member</td> <td><a href="/organizations/1">International Olympic Committee</a></td> <td>2012—2020</td> <td><a href="/countries/UKR"><img style="padding-right: 2px; vertical-align: middle" src="https://olympedia-flags.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/UKR.png" />UKR</a></td> <td>Sergey Bubka</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Individual</td> <td><a href="/organizations/1">International Olympic Committee</a></td> <td>2018—</td> <td><a href="/countries/UKR"><img style="padding-right: 2px; vertical-align: middle" src="https://olympedia-flags.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/UKR.png" />UKR</a></td> <td>Sergey Bubka</td> <td> </td> </tr> </table> <h2>Other participations</h2> <table class='table table-striped'> <thead> <tr> <th>Games</th> <th>Role</th> <th>NOC</th> <th>As</th> <th></th> </tr> </thead> <tr> <td><a href="/editions/24">1996 Summer Olympics</a></td> <td><a href="/flagbearers?edition_id=24">Flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony</a></td> <td><a href="/countries/UKR"><img style="padding-right: 2px; vertical-align: middle" src="https://olympedia-flags.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/UKR.png" />UKR</a></td> <td>Sergey Bubka</td> <td> </td> </tr> </table> <h2>Olympic family relations</h2> <ul> <li> Brother of <a href="/athletes/77122">Vasyl Bubka</a> </li> </ul> <h2>Special Notes</h2> <ul> <li>Bearer of the <a href="/ceremonies/olympic_flag_bearers">Olympic Flag</a> at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics</li> <li> Listed in <a href="/lists/169/manual">Olympians Who Won a Medal at the European Athletics Championships</a> (1–0–0 1986 Stuttgart gold: pole vault (competed for the Soviet Union)) </li> <li> Listed in <a href="/lists/174/manual">Olympians Who Won a Medal at the European Athletics Indoor Championships</a> (1–0–0 1985 Peiraias gold: pole vault (competed for the Soviet Union)) </li> <li> Listed in <a href="/lists/137/manual">Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Athletics Championships</a> (6–0–0 1983 Helsinki gold: pole vault (competed for the Soviet Union); 1987 Rome gold: pole vault (competed for the Soviet Union); 1991 Tokyo gold: pole vault (competed for the Soviet Union); 1993 Stuttgart gold: pole vault (competed for Ukraine); 1995 Göteborg gold: pole vault (competed for Ukraine); 1997 Athens gold: pole vault (competed for Ukraine)) </li> <li> Listed in <a href="/lists/173/manual">Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships</a> (4–0–0 1985 Paris gold: pole vault (competed for the Soviet Union); 1987 Indianapolis gold: pole vault (competed for the Soviet Union); 1991 Sevilla gold: pole vault (competed for the Soviet Union); 1995 Barcelona gold: pole vault (competed for Ukraine)) </li> <li> Listed in <a href="/lists/107/manual">Olympians Who Served as President of a National Olympic Committee</a> (UKR: 2005-2022) </li> <li> Listed in <a href="/lists/128/manual">Olympians Who Were Named Champion des champions de L'Équipe</a> (1985, 1997) </li> <li> Listed in <a href="/lists/109/manual">Olympians Who Were Members of National Legislatures</a> (Member of Ukrainian Rada from 2002 through 2006 (PR)) </li> </ul> <h2>Errata</h2> <p>Although his givenname spelling is "Serhiy" in transliterated Ukrainian, he has always used the Russian style of Sergey.</p> </div> </body> <footer class='footer'> <br> <div class='panel panel-info'> <div class='panel-heading'> <h3 class='panel-title'> <span class='glyphicon glyphicon-info-sign'></span> Did you know? </h3> </div> <div class='panel-body'> <p>Until 1992, the Winter Olympics were held in the same year as the Summer Olympics. 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