Bubka Vaults 19-3 for Indoor Record

Sergei Bubka of the Soviet Union, the holder of the world outdoor record in the pole vault, today set a world indoor best mark of 19 feet 3 inches.

Bubka’s vault, topping the 19-2 3/4 by Billy Olson of the United States last year, came on his second attempt at the height in the 1986 Yomiuri International Indoor track and field meet.

“I tried for a new indoor record on Jan. 5 at a meet in the Soviet Union, but didn’t make it,” he said through an interpreter after his event. “I’ve had my eye on the world indoor record since I already had the outdoor mark.”

The 6-1 Bubka also holds the world outdoor record at 19-8, set last July in the World Championships at Helsinki, Finland. He said that he should be able to attain the same height in indoor competition.

Jamaican Merlene Ottey-Page, the 100-meter bronze medalist in the 1984 Olympic Games, won the women’s 60 meters in 7.24 seconds, beating defending champion Chandra Cheeseborough of the United States, who was timed in 7.42.

Doina Melinte of Romania won the women’s 800 in 2:05.82 and her countrywoman, Maricica Puica, took the women’s 3,000 in 9:01.84.

Larry Myricks of the United States won the men’s long jump at 26-11 1/2.

The Yomiuri pole vault competition turned into a family duel between Bubka, 22, and his brother Vasily, 25.

Vasily opened his competition at 17-4 3/4, and Sergei joined in at 18-4 1/2, which he cleared on his first attempt.

The elder brother then cleared 18-6 3/4 after two misses but couldn’t make it over anything higher.

Sergei passed at several heights before making 19-0 on the first try. The bar was then raised to the new record height.

Bubka made it on his second try, raising both arms in triumph and climbing slowly out of the pit as the crowd of 9,400 fans applauded enthusiastically.

ALL-TIME POLE VAULT LIST

Name Country Vault Year Sergei Bubka Soviet Union 19-8 1985 Thierry Vigneron France 19-4 3/4 1984 Pierre Quinon France 19-4 1985 Sergei Bubka Soviet Union 19-3 1986* Billy Olson U.S. 19-2 3/4 1985* Konstantin Volkov Soviet Union 19-2 1984 Joe Dial U.S. 19-2 1985 Mike Tully U.S. 19-1 1984 Alexander Krupskiy Soviet Union 19-1 1984 Vladimir Polyakov Soviet Union 19-0 3/4 1981

*- denotes indoor