The world record holder, and five times world champion, Ukrainian Sergey Bubka advanced to Sunday’s final by achieving a season’s best of 5.70m. Bubka cleared that height (his first of the day) on his second attempt. Bubka finished 3rd in group A, with the same mark as the German Tim Lobinger and the Russian Maksim Tarasov, the 1997 world leader.
In this group the U.S. record holder, Lawrence Johnson and the African record holder, South Africa’s Okkert Brits didn’t qualify to the final. Johnson had three fouls at 5.60m, and Brits two at 5.60m and one at 5,70m.
In group B, the 1996 Olympic champion, France’s Jean Galfione, was 3rd with 5.70m, which he cleared on his 2nd attempt. Sweden’s Martin Eriksson was 1st also with 5.70m, a personal best. With the same height were Russia’s Yevgeniy Smiryagin (2nd) and Vadim Strogalyov (4th), South Africa’s Riaan Botha (5th), and American Dean Starkey (6th).
