Bubka takes gold at Millrose Games, sets new meet record (02/11/96)

Bubka takes gold at Millrose Games, sets new meet record

by Roman Woronowycz

NEW YORK - Playing high stakes poker in the pole vault, Sergey Bubka dealt himself the winning hand, but only after coming close to losing it all at the 1996 Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden in New York on February 2.

The 32-year-old Ukrainian from Donetske set a new Millrose Games record of 19 feet 2 1/4 inches after missing on his first two attempts at that height. He had elected to pass at 19 feet 1/4 inch, taking a chance that the two remaining competitors, 1992 Olympic champion Maksim Tarasov of Russia and Frenchman Jean Galfione, would fail to clear the bar, but they didn't.

At 19 feet 2 1/4 they decided to pass, counterbetting that Bubka's lackluster ways at Millrose would continue. Mr. Bubka bested the mark easily and then passed at 19 feet 4 1/4 inches, winning when his two rivals couldn't handle the height.

Mr. Bubka, holder of numerous records and every conceivable championship, had but one blemish on his stellar record - he had failed miserably in all his previous appearances at these games. No more.

Although the 19 feet 2 1/4 inch mark is far short of his indoor world record of 20 feet 2 inches, it matched the highest jump in the world this year.

Ever the showman, Mr. Bubka prompted the crowd of 15, 471 to clap him on as he prepared for his third and final assault on the bar. The clapping turned to cheering as he cleared the mark.

It did not matter that subsequently he failed in three attempts at 19 feet 8 1/4, Sergey Bubka had finally conquered Millrose and was awarded the Fred Schmertz Trophy as the meets outstanding performer.

Mr. Bubka seemed to struggle in all of his jumps, but always cleared the height when he had to. He said the runway bothered him. "I don't know, it felt uncomfortable. Maybe it was too short." He also had problems with his poles, switching several times.

Afterwards, Mr. Bubka confirmed that he would be competing for Ukraine in the 1996 Summer Olympics and could be altering his spring meet schedule to get practice time in Atlanta. "I may forego the meet in Brazil in May so that I can be the first to jump in Atlanta," said the soft-spoken vaulter.

Mr. Bubka, who is considered by most the greatest pole-vaulter ever, has set the world record indoors 18 times, and 17 times outdoors, and has a total of nine world championships. He won his first in Helsinki, Finland, in 1983. In 1988, he took gold at the Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

The Millrose Games, which have spotlighted international track and field talent for 89 years, this year featured stars like 60-meter sprinters Gwen Torrence and Donovan Bailey, both of whom took first in their respective divisions (Ms. Torrence for the sixth time), Joetta Clark, winner in the 800-meter run, and hurdler Roger Kingdom.

Niall Bruton won for the second time in the Wanamaker Mile, the featured race of the Millrose Games, outduelling fellow Irishman Marcus O' Sullivan, himself a five-time champion.

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