World Championships: Men's pole vault
It might seem strange now but at the first ever world championships pole vault competition in Helsinki in 1983, Sergey Bubka was just another unknown 19-year-old trying to make his way in the sport. The gruelling event took close on seven hours to complete after the qualifying was cancelled and all 27 participants took part in the final.
Ukrainian Bubka was regarded as one of the less likely Soviet athletes to win and a third-time clearance at 5.60m seemed to at least guarantee him a medal albeit only the bronze – a mark which matched eventual silver and bronze medallists, Konstantin Volkov and Atanas Tarev.
Bubka though was the only vaulter who would clear 5.70m, giving him the victory.
Four years later in Rome, Bubka was now establishing himself as one of the greatest athletes at any event having been the first to clear 6.00m in 1985 and it took him just two vaults to ensure he retained his title – opening at 5.70m and then clearing 5.85m before taking his final attempt at 5.95m.
Minor medals went to France’s Thierry Vigneron and Russian athlete Rodion Gataullin, both jumping 5.80m.
Bubka made it three world titles in a row at Tokyo four years later in 1991 but wasn’t at his best and needed pain killers to compete. He cleared 5.70m but Hungarian Istvan Bagyula looked favourite to upset the form book as he cleared a championship best 5.90m.
Bubka failed his first attempt and then failed at a height of 5.95m. If he were to knock the bar off again at that height he would end up in seventh but his last jump clearance got him another gold medal. Fellow Russian Maksim Tarasov took the bronze 10cm behind the winner.
In Stuttgart in 1993, Bubka was healthy again and was by this time competing for a now independent Ukraine. He opened at 5.70m which nine others also cleared in a quality competition. He then went over 5.90m but so did Kazakhstan’s Grigoriy Yegorov, whose Asian record meant he was level with the great man. Bubka was the only jumper to successfully clear 6.00m and so won his fourth successive gold in the event. He also had a very close last attempt at improving his own 6.13m world record. Yegorov picked up the silver with the bronze shared by Tarasov again and fellow countryman Igor Trandenkov, both clearing 5.80m.
The world’s top pole vaulter then made it five out of five in Gothenburg in 1995. Failing his first attempt at 5.70m he then made a first time clearance at his next height of 5.92m, meaning he was to triumph again. Tarasov won his third successive medal, this time the silver with 5.86m as bronze went to Frenchman Jean Galfi one who matched the Russian’s height.
Bubka was suffering with Achilles problems in Athens in 1997, having managed just three vaulting sessions all year, but he made it a historic six golds in 14 years. A second time clearance at 5.91m put him ahead but Tarasov took the lead with a first-time 5.96m. The Ukrainian then responded with the highest ever championship vault as he comfortably cleared 6.01m. Nick Buckfield achieved a British best of fifth place, clearing 5.70m.
Bubka’s Achilles problems meant he was unable to defend his title in Seville in 1999 as 1992 Olympic champion Tarasov gained his fifth world medal. He needed three jumps at 5.96m, but then went over in a championship best 6.02m to win his first world title.
Australian Dmitri Markov, who was born in Belarus, was second and then at Edmonton in 2001 was a class apart, being the only jumper to go over 5.90m, then 5.95m and finally a championships best of 6.05m. A record 10 men cleared 5.75m and Israel’s Alex Averbukh won his second successive medal, improving his bronze from Seville.
The standard dropped slightly in Paris in 2003 and there was a surprise winner in Italy’s Giuseppe Gibilisco. He was the only vaulter to clear 5.80m and 5.85m first time and then a 5.90m leap ensured he took the gold. South African Okkert Brits took silver with Markov fourth despite a 5.85m jump.
Helsinki’s championships in 2005 suffered from bad weather and a jump of 5.45m made the final after qualifying was delayed due to equipment damage – in fact the temperature for the final was just 10 degrees centigrade – where there was a big surprise with Rens Blom the only vaulter over 5.80m, giving the Netherlands their first world or Olympic men’s title in any event.
Conditions for pole vaulting were much better in Osaka in 2007 and the first eight cleared higher than Blom managed in Helsinki. Brad Walker, who had won silver in Finland, advanced to gold, going over 5.86m at his first attempt to deny France’s Romain Mesnil.
Suffering from knee and thigh injuries, Aussie Steve Hooker still won gold in Berlin in 2009 as the only vaulter to better 5.90m. Mesnil had to settle for second again with countryman Renaud Lavillenie winning the bronze.
Two years later in Daegu, European champion Lavillenie had started as favourite, which was strengthened as he was perfect up to 5.85m. But there was a surprise as Poland’s European under-23 champion Pawel Wojciechowski went over 5.90m at his second attempt. Lazaro Borges won a shock silver for Cuba with his final 5.90m jump – a national record as five athletes went over 5.85m.
After two bronzes, 2012 Olympic champion Lavillenie was expected to graduate to gold in Moscow in 2013 but although he jumped 5.89m at the third attempt it was German Raphael Holzdeppe, who had been third in London, who cleared it on his first attempt and the Frenchman couldn’t clear 5.96m and had to settle for silver.
Year | Winner | Jump | GB position and mark
1983 Sergey Bubka (URS) 5.70 No competitor
1987 Sergey Bubka (URS) 5.85 No competitor
1991 Sergey Bubka (URS) 5.95 NQ Mike Edwards 5.40
1993 Sergey Bubka (UKR) 6.00 NQ Mike Edwards 5.45
1995 Sergey Bubka (UKR) 5.92 NQ Nick Buckfield 5.55
1997 Sergey Bubka (UKR) 6.01 5 Nick Buckfield 5.70
1999 Maksim Tarasov (RUS) 6.02 NQ Kevin Hughes 5.40
2001 Dmitri Markov (AUS) 6.05 NQ Nick Buckfield 5.30
2003 Giuseppe Gibilisco (ITA) 5.90 NQ Nick Buckfield 5.50
2005 Rens Blom (NED) 5.80 No competitor
2007 Brad Walker (USA) 5.86 NH Steve Lewis
2009 Steve Hooker (AUS) 5.90 7 Steve Lewis 5.65
2011 Pawel Wojciechowski (POL) 5.90 9 Steve Lewis 5.65
2013 Raphael Holzdeppe (GER) 5.89 NH Steve Lewis
Points table (8 for 1st etc)
1. RUS 69
2. GER 62.5
3. USA 61
4. FRA 58.5
5. URS 48
6. UKR 31
7. AUS 28
8. POL 26.5
9. ISR 15
10. BUL 12.5
18. GBR 5
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