| | Event type

Pole Vault, Men

Date	5 – 7 August 1992
Status	Olympic
Location	Estadio Olímpico de Montjuïc, Barcelona
Participants	34 from 25 countries

The overwhelming favorite was Sergey Bubka. He was a three-time World Champion, defending Olympic Champion, and by 1992 had set the last 16 world records in pole vaulting. On 5 August 1991 one of his world records was AT 6.10 (20-0¼), which meant little to most people, but to the Imperial world, that was the first pole vault ever over clear 20 feet. He qualified easily, and opened in the final with 5.70 (18-8¼). Missing twice at that height he then passed to 5.75, where he also failed and he was out of the competition without a height. What had happened?

One theory relates to the time allowed competitors in the pole vault, which is two minutes after being called for the next jump. As the star of the international circuit, Bubka was usually allowed to do what he wanted. But American Tim Bright had reminded the officials in Barcelona of the rules and Bubka later commented that it seemed like the clock was running faster than usual. In his absence the competition came down to two Russians, representing the Unified Team. Maksim Tarasov and Igor Trandenkov were the only vaulters over 5.80 (19-0¼), which decided the competition. Tarasov’s first attempt clearance got him the gold medal, with silver to Trandenkov. Spaniard Javier García won the bronze medal to the delight of the Barcelona fans, with his second attempt clearance at 5.75 (18-10¼). America’s Kory Tarpenning also made 5.75 (18-10¼), but on his third effort, and had to compete despite being booed by the partisan Spanish fans.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Qualifying	Final
1	566	Maksim Tarasov	EUN	5.60 (=1)	5.80 (1)	Gold
2	569	Igor Trandenkov	EUN	5.60 (6)	5.80 (2)	Silver
3	418	Javier García	ESP	5.55 (=7)	5.75 (3)	Bronze
4	1769	Kory Tarpenning	USA	5.60 (5)	5.75 (4)
5	1777	Dave Volz	USA	5.55 (11)	5.65 (5)
6	605	Asko Peltoniemi	FIN	5.55 (=9)	5.60 (6)
7	622	Philippe Collet	FRA	5.55 (12)	5.55 (7)
8	972	Danny Krasnov	ISR	5.60 (3)	5.40 (8)
9	913	István Bagyula	HUN	5.55 (=9)	5.30 (9)
10	448	Alberto Ruiz	ESP	5.55 (=7)	5.30 (10)
AC r2/2	489	Sergey Bubka	EUN	5.60 (=1)	– (NH)
AC r2/2	1672	Tim Bright	USA	5.60 (4)	– (NH)
13 r1/2	634	Jean Galfione	FRA	5.50 (13)	–
=14 r1/2	634	Jani Lehtonen	FIN	5.50 (=14)	–
=14 r1/2	624	Philippe d'Encausse	FRA	5.50 (=14)	–
16 r1/2	1835	Galin Nikov	BUL	5.50 (16)	–
17 r1/2	456	Valeri Bukrejev	EST	5.50 (17)	–
18 r1/2	1426	Edgar Díaz	PUR	5.50 (18)	–
19 r1/2	432	Daniel Martí	ESP	5.40 (19)	–
20 r1/2	1020	Andrea Pegoraro	ITA	5.40 (20)	–
21 r1/2	1579	Peter Widén	SWE	5.40 (21)	–
22 r1/2	35	Simon Arkell	AUS	5.30 (22)	–
23 r1/2	882	Christos Pallakis	GRE	5.30 (23)	–
=24 r1/2	251	Doug Wood	CAN	5.20 (=24)	–
=24 r1/2	1260	Kersley Gardenne	MRI	5.20 (=24)	–
=26 r1/2	375	Fotis Stefani	CYP	5.20 (=26)	–
=26 r1/2	705	Mike Edwards	GBR	5.20 (=26)	–
28 r1/2	1353	Edward Lasquette	PHI	5.00 (28)	–
29 r1/2	1398	Nuno Fernandes	POR	5.00 (29)	–
AC r1/2	266	Tomás Riether	CHI	– (NH)	–
AC r1/2	1092	Hiroyuki Sano	JPN	– (NH)	–
AC r1/2	1149	Kim Cheol-Gyun	KOR	– (NH)	–
AC r1/2	1173	Aleksandrs Obižajevs	LAT	– (NH)	–
AC r1/2	1325	Paul Gibbons	NZL	– (NH)	–
DNS	72	Hermann Fehringer	AUT	– (DNS)	–

Qualifying Round

Date	5 August 1992 — 9:30
Format	Top 12 and ties and all those clearing 5.60 metres advanced to the final.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Best Height Cleared	Misses at Best Height Cleared	Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared
=1	489	Sergey Bubka	EUN	5.60	0	0	Q
=1	566	Maksim Tarasov	EUN	5.60	0	0	Q
3	972	Danny Krasnov	ISR	5.60	0	2	Q
4	1672	Tim Bright	USA	5.60	1	1	Q
5	1769	Kory Tarpenning	USA	5.60	1	3	Q
6	569	Igor Trandenkov	EUN	5.60	2	3	Q
=7	418	Javier García	ESP	5.55	1	2	q
=7	448	Alberto Ruiz	ESP	5.55	1	2	q
=9	605	Asko Peltoniemi	FIN	5.55	1	3	q
=9	913	István Bagyula	HUN	5.55	1	3	q
11	1777	Dave Volz	USA	5.55	2	3	q
12	622	Philippe Collet	FRA	5.55	2	4	q
13	634	Jean Galfione	FRA	5.50	0	0
=14	634	Jani Lehtonen	FIN	5.50	0	1
=14	624	Philippe d'Encausse	FRA	5.50	0	1
16	1835	Galin Nikov	BUL	5.50	1	1
17	456	Valeri Bukrejev	EST	5.50	2	2
18	1426	Edgar Díaz	PUR	5.50	2	5
19	432	Daniel Martí	ESP	5.40	1	1
20	1020	Andrea Pegoraro	ITA	5.40	2	3
21	1579	Peter Widén	SWE	5.40	2	4
22	35	Simon Arkell	AUS	5.30	0	0
23	882	Christos Pallakis	GRE	5.30	2	3
=24	251	Doug Wood	CAN	5.20	0	0
=24	1260	Kersley Gardenne	MRI	5.20	0	0
=26	375	Fotis Stefani	CYP	5.20	1	1
=26	705	Mike Edwards	GBR	5.20	1	1
28	1353	Edward Lasquette	PHI	5.00	0	2
29	1398	Nuno Fernandes	POR	5.00	1	3
NH	266	Tomás Riether	CHI	–	–	–
NH	1092	Hiroyuki Sano	JPN	–	–	–
NH	1149	Kim Cheol-Gyun	KOR	–	–	–
NH	1173	Aleksandrs Obižajevs	LAT	–	–	–
NH	1325	Paul Gibbons	NZL	–	–	–
DNS	72	Hermann Fehringer	AUT	–	–	–

Group A

Date	5 August 1992

Pos	Start Order	Competitor	NOC	Best Height Cleared	Misses at Best Height Cleared	Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared	Attempts at 4.80 m	Attempts at 5.00 m	Attempts at 5.20 m	Attempts at 5.30 m	Attempts at 5.40 m	Attempts at 5.50 m	Attempts at 5.55 m	Attempts at 5.60 m
1	489	Sergey Bubka	EUN	5.60	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	o
2	1769	Kory Tarpenning	USA	5.60	1	3	-	-	-	-	xo	xo	-	xo
3	448	Alberto Ruiz	ESP	5.55	1	2	-	-	o	-	o	xo	xo	xxx
4	1777	Dave Volz	USA	5.55	2	3	-	-	-	-	o	xo	xxo	xxx
5	634	Jean Galfione	FRA	5.50	0	0	-	-	-	-	o	o	-	xxx
=6	634	Jani Lehtonen	FIN	5.50	0	1	-	-	-	-	xo	o	-	xxx
=6	624	Philippe d'Encausse	FRA	5.50	0	1	-	-	-	-	xo	o	-	xxx
8	1835	Galin Nikov	BUL	5.50	1	1	-	-	-	o	-	xo	-	xxx
9	456	Valeri Bukrejev	EST	5.50	2	2	-	-	-	-	o	xxo	xxx	–
10	432	Daniel Martí	ESP	5.40	1	1	-	-	o	-	xo	xxx	–	–
11	1579	Peter Widén	SWE	5.40	2	4	-	-	-	xxo	xxo	xxx	–	–
=12	251	Doug Wood	CAN	5.20	0	0	-	-	o	-	xxx	–	–	–
=12	1260	Kersley Gardenne	MRI	5.20	0	0	o	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–
14	705	Mike Edwards	GBR	5.20	1	1	-	-	xo	xxx	–	–	–	–
NH	1149	Kim Cheol-Gyun	KOR	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
NH	1325	Paul Gibbons	NZL	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
DNS	72	Hermann Fehringer	AUT	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Group B

Date	5 August 1992

Pos	Start Order	Competitor	NOC	Best Height Cleared	Misses at Best Height Cleared	Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared	Attempts at 4.80 m	Attempts at 5.00 m	Attempts at 5.20 m	Attempts at 5.30 m	Attempts at 5.40 m	Attempts at 5.50 m	Attempts at 5.55 m	Attempts at 5.60 m
1	566	Maksim Tarasov	EUN	5.60	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	o	-	o
2	972	Danny Krasnov	ISR	5.60	0	2	-	-	-	-	xo	o	xo	o
3	1672	Tim Bright	USA	5.60	1	1	-	-	-	-	o	o	-	xo
4	569	Igor Trandenkov	EUN	5.60	2	3	-	-	-	-	-	xo	-	xxo
5	418	Javier García	ESP	5.55	1	2	-	-	-	-	o	xo	xo	x-
=6	605	Asko Peltoniemi	FIN	5.55	1	3	-	-	-	-	xo	xo	xo	x-
=6	913	István Bagyula	HUN	5.55	1	3	-	-	o	o	xo	xo	xo	xxx
8	622	Philippe Collet	FRA	5.55	2	4	-	-	-	-	xo	xo	xxo	x-
9	1426	Edgar Díaz	PUR	5.50	2	5	-	-	xxo	-	xo	xxo	xxx	–
10	1020	Andrea Pegoraro	ITA	5.40	2	3	-	-	xo	-	xxo	xxx	–	–
11	35	Simon Arkell	AUS	5.30	0	0	-	-	-	o	-	xxx	–	–
12	882	Christos Pallakis	GRE	5.30	2	3	-	xo	o	xxo	xxx	–	–	–
13	375	Fotis Stefani	CYP	5.20	1	1	-	o	xo	xxx	–	–	–	–
14	1353	Edward Lasquette	PHI	5.00	0	2	xxo	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
15	1398	Nuno Fernandes	POR	5.00	1	3	xxo	xo	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
NH	266	Tomás Riether	CHI	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
NH	1092	Hiroyuki Sano	JPN	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
NH	1173	Aleksandrs Obižajevs	LAT	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Final Round

Date	7 August 1992 — 17:00

Pos	Start Order	Competitor	NOC	Best Height Cleared	Misses at Best Height Cleared	Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared	Attempts at 5.20 m	Attempts at 5.30 m	Attempts at 5.40 m	Attempts at 5.50 m	Attempts at 5.55 m	Attempts at 5.60 m	Attempts at 5.65 m	Attempts at 5.70 m	Attempts at 5.75 m	Attempts at 5.80 m	Attempts at 5.85 m	Attempts at 5.90 m
1	566	Maksim Tarasov	EUN	5.80	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	o	-	-	-	o	-	xxx
2	569	Igor Trandenkov	EUN	5.80	2	2	-	-	-	o	-	-	-	o	-	xxo	-	xxx
3	418	Javier García	ESP	5.75	1	1	-	-	o	-	-	o	-	o	xo	xxx	–	–
4	1769	Kory Tarpenning	USA	5.75	2	2	-	-	-	-	-	o	-	-	xxo	xxx	–	–
5	1777	Dave Volz	USA	5.65	0	1	-	-	-	xo	-	-	o	-	xxx	–	–	–
6	605	Asko Peltoniemi	FIN	5.60	1	3	-	-	xxo	-	-	xo	-	x-	xx-	–	–	–
7	622	Philippe Collet	FRA	5.55	0	0	-	-	-	-	o	-	-	xxx	–	–	–	–
8	972	Danny Krasnov	ISR	5.40	1	1	-	-	xo	xxx	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
9	913	István Bagyula	HUN	5.30	0	2	xxo	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
10	448	Alberto Ruiz	ESP	5.30	2	2	-	xxo	-	xxx	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
NH	489	Sergey Bubka	EUN	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
NH	1672	Tim Bright	USA	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–