| Sergey Bubka |
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| U.S.S.R. |
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| Wednesday, 4th December 1963 |
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| Voroshilovgrad (now Luhansk) |
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| Pole Vault |
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| Olympics: 1988 Gold Pole Vault. Worlds: 1983, 1987, 1991, 1993, 1995 & 1997 Gold Pole Vault. European: 1986 Gold Pole Vault. |
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| Photo/Foto: George Herringshaw |
Date: 27th August 1991 |
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By the end of the 1989 season, Sergey Bubka had his pole-vaulting rivals wondering if he was invincible. Admittedly, Bubka had lost at minor meets, but the nine-times world record setter had won all the major championship titles since 1983. Although he set a new world indoor record early in 1990, Bubka was troubled by injury in the outdoor season, and after needing three attempts to clear his opening height of 5.70m at the European Championships in Split, he could go no higher, and finished in an unfamiliar 6th place. Sergey responded to this setback the following year in the most emphatic way, setting four indoor and then four outdoor world records. Although raised on the metric system, Bubka was acutely aware that he was creeping ever closer to the 20-foot barrier, and was eager to be the first to clear this height. The world's first 20 foot clearance actually came indoors, when Bubka scaled 6.10m at San Sebastian on 15 March 1991. He later equalled that feat in the outdoor season on 5 August. With this form behind him, it seemed a mere formality that Bubka would successfully defend his title at the World Championships in Tokyo, and he easily made it through the qualifying round on 27 August (see photo above). However, in the final two days later, Bubka was hampered by a bruised heel which required pain-killing injections. After clearing 5.70m, Bubka's next vault was at 5.90m, which he missed. When Istvan Bagyula (Hungary) cleared 5.90m on his first attempt, Bubka gambled on a gold medal or nothing strategy by taking his remaining two attempts at 5.95m. Bubka missed his first try at 5.95m, and facing a sixth place finish if he failed on his last attempt, he cleared the bar to win his third successive world title. (Ron Casey)
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| This photograph is the copyright © of George Herringshaw & sporting-heroes.net |
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