Sergei Bubka

Belarussian pole vaulter Dmitriy Markov told Warren Partland in the Adelaide, Australia Advertiser, "Bubka does not jump, he flies. Everyone else jumps but if you want to match him you must be prepared to fly." A risk-taker, Bubka used poles that some thought were too large for him in his quest for greater and greater height. He made his run dramatically, bending his pole and soaring over the bar with spectacular style.

Part of Bubka's success at breaking the world record so many times was his tactic of raising the bar by a tiny amount each time, setting new world records in one-centimeter increments. Each time he set a record, he received bonuses, endorsements, and appearance fees, so this tactic earned him a great deal of money as well as more notoriety than anyone had ever enjoyed in his previously obscure sport. O'Connor noted that each time he broke a record, Bubka received $40,000 from the Nike company, and commented, "Bubka is no fool. He doesn't smash his own records, but nibbles at them, replacing them a fraction at a time. Since taking the Nike deal, Bubka has taken 15 nibbles, good for a $600,000 bonus." Although some observers criticized Bubka as calculating and mercenary, Blackistone noted that Bubka was simply doing what star athletes in most other sports did: "Set records. Earn bonuses. Garner greater appearance fees for the next big meet." And, Blackistone wrote, "Bubka just proved that a pole vaulter could do the same if he was as spectacular and spell-binding in his performance."

Bubka lived the high life, buying expensive cars and moving to a $2 million apartment in Monte Carlo. His riches were noted by members of the Russian mafia, which issued death threats and threats to kidnap him if he did not hand over some of the money. As a result, since the mid-1990s he has traveled with a bodyguard.