Serhiy Bubka

Serhiy Bubka (born 4 December 1963) is a retired Ukrainian pole vaulter. He represented the Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991, was repeatedly voted the world's best athlete, and in 2012 was of one of 24 athletes inducted as inaugural members of the International Association of Athletics Federations Hall Of Fame.

Bubka won six 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 only (as of July 2012) to clear 6.10 metres (20 ft).

He holds the current outdoor world record of 6.14 metres, (20 feet 1³⁄₄ inches), set on 31 July 1994 in Sestriere, Italy and the current indoor world record of 6.15 meters, set on 21 February 1993 in Donetsk, Ukraine.

Since his first victory in Helsinki at the First World Athletics Championship in 1983 Serhiy Bubka has been ranked among the best-known and gifted athletes of the world. Coaches and experts have kept an eye on the outstanding athlete and pin their hopes on him, which he has never failed to justify. Nowadays Serhiy Bubka is IAAF Vice-President.

Here is an interview with Serhiy Bubka taken by the correspondent of
"Ukraine".

Correspondent: Did you plan to win at Helsinki?

Serhiy: No, 1 didn't. I was there to gain experience and to try to repeat my
best jump. As a matter of fact my coach and I never plan to win.