Olson Wins Vault, but Bubka Protests Rulings by Officials

There was something for everyone in the pole vault competition Friday night at the Millrose Games. Dave Volz got the meet record, Billy Olson got the victory, and Sergei Bubka got a lesson in American ingenuity. Or was it his brother, Vasily? The capacity crowd at Madison Square Garden may have to wait for the movie to figure this one out.

First things first.

Volz, who was not a headliner in the so-called Summit at the Summit that included three vaulters who have held world indoor records at one time or another this winter, went higher than anyone, going over the bar at 19-0. It was the first time the former Indiana University vaulter has ever gone over 19 feet.

Volz, however, did not win the competition. That honor went to Billy Olson, the current world indoor record-holder who cleared 19 feet Friday night. But as the bar was at 19-0 when he started his jump--before he knocked it down by a quarter of an inch on his descent--he was given credit for that height in the competition. For record purposes, though, he was credited with only 19-0.

There were some observers, the Bubka brothers in particular, who thought that Olson should not have been credited with any height. The fact that Olson won the competition gave the younger and more accomplished Bubka, Sergei, an opportunity to lecture on one of his favorite subjects, the evils of capitalism.

The trouble began on Joe Dial’s second vault at 18-4 3/4. He missed, but an official ruled that a photographer had distracted the vaulter, and granted him an additional try. That allowed him to have not only his regular third vault at the height but also a fourth.

On Olson’s second try at 18-4 3/4, also a miss, the same thing happened.

The Soviet delegation didn’t think it was a coincidence.

The coach, Vitaly Petrov, and team leader Eduard Gushkin complained that Vasily Bubka, who missed three times at 18-4 3/4, also had been distracted on his third attempt.

They said at first that an official had leaned over the runway on Vasily’s approach, an account that was confirmed by more than one eyewitness.

But when they received no satisfaction, they changed their story, saying a photographer had set off a flashbulb in Vasily’s face, blinding him temporarily while he was on his ascent toward the bar.

Vasily, however, was not granted an extra vault.

When the protest failed, Sergei, who was still in the competition, told a meet official, in English, “No vault, no vault.”

In order to appease Sergei, meet officials decided that he would be given an extra attempt at the next height, 18-9, even though he had not complained of any distractions on his miss at 18-4 3/4. Bubka refused the generosity, dropping out of the competition after two misses at 18-9.

While Olson and Volz continued the competition, which ended with three misses by Olson at a world-record height of 19-5 3/4, Bubka set at the edge of the track and, through an interpreter, voiced his complaints to the media.

“American sportsmen got an additional attempt, which is against any international rules,” he said. “I don’t think the officials sounded convincing when they said there was interference.

“The reason given by the officials for giving a fourth attempt to the American sportsmen sounded more like subterfuge than a real reason.

“Unfortunately, my impression of the competition leaves much to be desired. I never expected the situation would be like this. It was very unpleasant.

“No matter what country in which the competition takes place, everyone is equal as far as the rules are concerned. They cannot be violated.”

Asked whether he held the meet officials or the two U.S. pole vaulters accountable, Bubka said: “I hold no grudges. Frankly speaking, I blame the American way of life, the desire to make the most amount of money in everything. Such victories that were provided today for the American athletes were not fair and cannot be honorable.”

Nevertheless, Bubka said he will honor his commitments to four additional U.S. indoor meets, including the Bally Invitational in Chicago Sunday, but said he wanted a commitment from meet directors “that we will abide by international rules and not by American rules, which I do not understand.”

No one, regardless of his nationality, understood much of what happened Friday night.

Few events went true to form. Among the upset victims were Evelyn Ashford, Valerie Brisco-Hooks, Jarmila Kratochvilova, Greg Foster and Stephanie Hightower.

Marcus O’Sullivan won the Wanamaker Mile over Eamonn Coghlan, who was attempting to become the first man ever to win the event seven times.

One favorite who won was Doug Padilla in the 3,000 meters, but he had to run an extra lap to do it as an official forgot to fire the gun at the start of the final lap.

But all of that was overshadowed by the pole vault competition, which started with five competitors who had cleared 19 feet. That included Olson, Sergei Bubka and Dial, all of whom have held the world indoor record since Dec. 28.

Dial was the first to be eliminated, probably because his poles did not arrive from St. Louis in time for the competition. He used another vaulter’s poles, but they were too heavy for him. He didn’t clear a height.

He later called the pole vault competition “a three-ring circus.”

Dial said he sympathized with the Soviets.

“If I went to Russia and the same thing happened, I’d be pretty mad,” he said.

Even though he was the winner, Olson said he also believed the competition was tainted.

“You’ve got to look at this meet as a tainted competition,” he said. “That’s what’s going to be written. Joe Dial didn’t get his poles, everybody getting four jumps. It’s kind of a silly meet.

“You can look at the Russian side and say, ‘You shouldn’t get an extra jump.’ But that’s the way it is. It’s sad that you have to cope with all these outside factors when you are just trying to get over a bar and win a meet. That’s the reality of it.”

This was reality?