Sergey Nazarovich Bubka is a Soviet and Ukrainian athlete.
Place of Birth, Education
He was born on December 4, 1963 in Lugansk.
In 1987, he completed his studies at the Kyiv State Institute of Physical Culture.
In 2002, he received the degree of Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences.
Career
In 1983, he received the title of Honored Master of Sports.
From 1983 to 1997, he became world champion 6 times. He won the World and European Cups in 1985, and in 1986 he became the European champion.
In 1988, he won gold at the Olympic Games in Seoul. He has repeatedly won the IAAF Grand Prix series.
During his career, he set 35 world records. The first – in 1984 in Bratislava, when he took 5 meters 85 centimeters, on July 13, 1985 in Paris he was the first in the world to overcome a height of 6 meters.
He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor in 1988 and the Order of Lenin in 1989.
In 2001, he received the title of Hero of Ukraine, and in 2003 he became the winner of the “Stars of Ukraine” campaign and was recognized as a UNESCO champion in sports.
He is listed in the Guinness Book of Records for the largest number of world records in athletics. He was recognized as the best athlete in the world three times.
Since 1999, he has been a member of the International Olympic Committee, and since 2000 he has been a member of its executive committee.
Since 1996, he worked in the Athletes’ Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and in 2002 he headed it.
In 2007, he became Vice President of the International Athletics Federation and First Vice President of the IAAF.
In June 2005, he was elected President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine.
In November 2006, he was re-elected for a term of 2006 – 2010, and on October 7, 2010 – until 2014.
He is the founder and president of the Serhiy Bubka Club. Since 1990, under his leadership, international pole vaulting competitions “Pole Stars” have been held.
In August 2015, at the IAAF congress in Beijing, he was elected the first vice president of the organization. In September 2019, he was re-elected to the post of vice president.
Political Activities
From 2002 to 2006, he was a people’s deputy of Ukraine, elected on the list of the bloc “For United Ukraine!” under No. 12. Later, he moved to the Party of Regions faction. He worked in the parliamentary committee on youth policy, physical culture, sports and tourism.
From April 2010 to 2014, he was a freelance adviser to then-President Viktor Yanukovych.
Marital Status
Married. He has two sons: Vitaliy, born in 1985 and Serhiy, born in 1987.
