Maksim Tarasov

Maksim Tarasov is a retired Russian pole vaulter. He is the Russian national record holder for pole vault, with 6.05, result achieved in 1996. He represented the USSR, the Unified Team, and later Russia. His personal best jump is 6.05 meters, which puts him fourth in the all-time performers list. Tarasov was the surprise Gold medalist at the 1992 Summer Olympics, representing the Unified Team, over favorite Ukrainian teammate Sergey Bubka, who missed all the attempts at the final. He represented Russia at the 2000 Summer Olympics, winning a Bronze medal. A serious injury forced him to leave competition in 2001.