Stakes Go High, but Bubka Stays on the Ground

In the pole vault competition Friday night in Los Angeles, the question was how high the bar would be raised. The question Sunday in the Michelob Invitational at San Diego’s Sports Arena was how high the stakes would have to be raised.

Negotiations were proposed after the Soviet Union’s Sergei Bubka, who regained the world indoor record with a jump of 19-5 3/4 at the Forum Friday night, informed meet director Al Franken Sunday morning that he would not compete here.

Franken wasted no time putting his best offer on the table, or rather under it.

He offered Bubka $3,000 to change his mind and said he would give him an additional $3,000 if he set another world record.

In so many words, Bubka said nyet . He didn’t need an interpreter to get across the message that his decision was irrevocable.

That left the competition to Bubka’s brother, Vasily, and two former world indoor record-holders, Billy Olson and Joe Dial.

Dial, the pride of Bowlegs, Okla., won at 19-0, the first 19-foot jump ever in San Diego. He missed on three attempts at a world-record height of 19-6. Olson and Vasily Bubka each cleared 18-4 1/2.

“I guess I had something to prove,” Dial said.

Among the three vaulters who have broken the world indoor record eight times since Dec. 28, Dial has been the least impressive in their head-to-head confrontations during the last two weekends. He failed to clear a height at the Millrose Games in New York and jumped only 18-0 1/2 in the Times/GTE Indoor Games Friday night.

But after beating Olson Sunday for the first time this winter and coming close to another world record, Dial said he is confident that he can challenge Bubka in their final meeting of the indoor season next Friday night in the Mobil/TAC championships at Madison Square Garden.

Olson, however, may have to sit that one out after reinjuring his hamstring on his final attempt at 19-2 Sunday. He said he probably will wait until the competition begins before determining whether he will jump in New York.

After setting the world record Friday night, Bubka gave an indication of what to expect Sunday, or of what not to expect.

“The competition in San Diego is not very important to me,” he said. “I may not compete there.”

Upon learning of Bubka’s threat, Franken arranged a meeting with the leader of the Soviet delegation, Eduard Gustchin. Franken said after the meeting, which ended at 1:30 a.m. Saturday, that Gustchin assured him that Bubka would honor all commitments.

But there apparently was a question in Bubka’s mind about whether he had a commitment to the Michelob Invitational.

That was one of his several excuses for not competing, as listed Sunday by the Soviets’ interpreter, Lyudmilla Potanich. According to Potanich:

--The runway is too short.

--His left shoulder hurts him from time to time, even when he doesn’t jump.

--The officials in Moscow told him he only had to compete four times. He already has competed three times and is looking forward to the competition in New York, which he considers the most important.

--The emotional stress of setting the world record the other night was too unnerving.

Bubka later said through the interpreter that he would have competed here if he had not set the world record in Los Angeles.

None of those excuses appeased Franken, not even the shoulder injury that was related to the crowd of 10,010 by the public address announcer.

“Obviously, he wasn’t injured,” Franken said. “He set a world record Friday night. He’s not hurting. What’s hurting is our credibility. I’m terribly unhappy.”

Franken said he agreed to pay $8,000 to bring five Soviet athletes to the meet, including Bubka, but he said Sunday that he had not yet sent the check. He said he will ask to renegotiate.

“We wouldn’t have bought the package if we’d known he wasn’t going to be in it,” Franken said. “We wouldn’t have taken the other people. I’m not saying the other people aren’t good, but they’re not worth that kind of money.

“We’ve had very bad luck with the Russians over the years. Our experience has been that most of their people haven’t really performed for us. I think they come here to get out of the Soviet winters. I’m going to have to take a hard look before I invite them again.”

The other vaulters said they learned of Bubka’s intention to take the afternoon off when he said during a rules meeting Sunday morning that he would enter the competition only if his world record was broken.

“That was an insult to me and Billy,” Dial said. “Sergei’s the best, but it’s impossible to enter a competition at 19-6 and win without even warming up. Not even he can do that.”

Steve Chappell, plant manager for AMF Pacer, a leading manufacturer of poles, defended Bubka’s decision not to compete. He said he knew as early as 10 days ago that Bubka’s plans did not include this meet.

“These guys know how often they can compete without risking an injury,” Chappell said. “Sergei said all along that he couldn’t compete four times in two weeks, and there was no amount of money that could have gotten him to change his mind.

“I honestly don’t think he realized it was a problem. As far as he had been told by the officials at home, he had a commitment to compete in four meets. Maybe there were other Soviet officials who were saying otherwise, but that was Sergei’s understanding. He decided the meet next Friday night is more important than this one. He wants to win the U.S. championship.”

Olson said he sympathizes with Franken.

“Al paid a lot of money to get the Russians here when all he really wanted was Sergei,” Olson said. “But he got stuck, and the crowd got stuck.”

Then, Olson was reminded that he was criticized last Sunday after he decided not to compete against Bubka in the Bally Invitational in Rosemont, Ill. Olson said at the time that he was tired and didn’t want to risk an injury.

“I guess you’ve got to do what your body tells you,” Olson said. “Maybe Sergei really is hurting.”