Olympic champion Sergei Bubka giving a speech at an Olympic event. Despite already being one of the world’s most successful athletes and having broken world records in pole vaulting, Sergei Bubka is ready to face new challenges and add more wins to his record. In September, the all-time pole-vault legend will be the youngest candidate to succeed Jacques Rogge as President of the International Committee. Bubka is currently the holder of the world record for men’s pole vaulting, but he would like to pass the torch on to younger athletes. In fact, getting young people more engaged in sports is one of the main goals of his presidential bid. He is now in Moscow as Deputy President of the International Athletics Federations and head of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine. While walking through the huge atrium of Moscow’s World Trade Center, Sergei Bubka couldn’t help but recall that this sleek modern space was one of the first Western-looking facilities to be built in Moscow. The center was built for the 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow.
Q: What do you think about the widespread criticism that these big events do not really contribute to the development of sports in the areas that need it most, like the distant provincial towns in Russia? A: I take a global, strategic perspective. I totally support the way your country [Russia] is developing sports, because nowadays, physical education in the world is no longer part of the school curriculum. So, people and especially younger people don’t get enough physical exercise. Their version of sports is on the computer playing games! But what does it lead to? Young people across the world are in a critical condition when it comes to their heath; many young people today have diabetes, are obese, suffer from heart attacks. These are shocking facts. But if you host such events as the Olympics, it acts as a tool to promote sports and healthy lifestyle. Read more: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/olympic-champion-says-boycotts-futile-sports-key-to-progress/484322.html#ixzz2bPsFGyz9 The Moscow Times
