Serhiy Bubka
President of the NOC of Ukraine, ex-president of Rodovid Bank
Place of birth and education: he was born in Lugansk. In 1987 he graduated from Kyiv State Institute of Physical Culture. In 2002 he became a candidate of pedagogical sciences.
Sport achievements. S. Bubka is a legendary athlete-athlete (high jump and pole vault). In 1983 he became Honored Master of Sports. From 1983 to 1997 six times he won the title of World Champion. Winner of World Cups and European Cups (1985), European Champion (1986). In 1988 became the champion of the XXIV Olympic Games in Seoul. Many times winner of Grand Prix of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). During his sports career he set 35 world records. In 1984, he set his first world record at an event in Bratislava, winning the height of 5 m 85 cm. He was the first in the history of athletics to break the 6-meter height (on July 13, 1985 in Paris).
The renowned jumper is a recipient of the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1988) and the Order of Lenin (1989). In 1997, in the rating of the newspaper "Equip" (France) is recognized as "Champion of Champions". In 2001 S. Bubka was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine. In 2003 he became the winner of the national action "Stars of Ukraine" and was acknowledged as a UNESCO Champion in Sports. He is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for the greatest number of world records in athletics. Three times he was recognized as the best athlete of the world.
The champion is a sports functionary.
Since 1999 S. Bubka is a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Since 2000 he has been a member of the IOC Executive Committee. Since 1996 he has been a member of the IOC Athletes' Commission, and in 2002 he became its Chairman. In 2007 he was elected Vice President of the International Track and Field Athletics Federation and First Vice President of the IAAF.
In June 2005, at the 14th Extraordinary General Assembly of the National Olympic Committee he was elected the Committee's President. He took over the office of the President from Viktor Yanukovych. In November 2006 he was reelected as the NOC President for 2006-2010. On the 7th of October 2010 he was re-elected until 2014. He was the only candidate in the elections and by secret ballot got the votes of all 107 registered NOC members.
Champion is the president and founder of the "Sergey Bubka Club". Since 1990, under his leadership annual international competitions among the strongest athletes in the world on pole vaulting "Stars of the Pole" are held.
Champion politician.
From 2002 to 2006 he was a people's deputy of Ukraine. Entered the parliament as number 12 of the electoral list "For United Ukraine!", which received the "blessing" of the then President Leonid Kuchma. After two months in the faction "United Ukraine" Bubka switched to the Party of Regions. He worked in the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Youth Policy, Physical Education, Sports and Tourism.
Since April 2010 he worked as a freelance adviser to President Yanukovych.
Champion entrepreneur.
For many years S.Bubka is not only a famous athlete and sports functionary, but also a businessman. The great jumper was one of the key owners of Rodovid Bank which was one of the biggest banks in Ukraine (he was also its president). In July 2009, Rodovid Bank was nationalized as a result of the financial crisis.
In spring of 2007 "Focus" magazine assessed the net worth of NOC President at $350 million and put him on the 56-th place in the rating of the richest Ukrainians. A year later the same magazine valued the assets of S. Bubka and his elder brother Vasyl (head of supervisory board of Rodovid Bank) at $370 mln (ranking 71st in "TOP 130 richest people in Ukraine").
Views and estimations.
According to some experts S.Bubka, even despite the fireworks of world records, has not opened all his possibilities. The champion himself said that he did not want to remain in history a hero of a single jump, as American Bob Beamon, who jumped 8 m 90 cm at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. The Ukrainian athlete did it perfectly. In his time the fifth president of the IOC Juan Antonio Samaranch called him the most outstanding athlete of the present.
Family. S. Bubka is married. The spouses have two sons - Vitaly and Sergey.
Hobbies: tennis, soccer, music.
