ATHENS?Aug W •The greatest winning streak in World Championship history is threatened on Fri-

day when the incomparable Sergei Bubka opens his bid to win the pole vault for the sixth

Since his unexpected victory as a teenager at the inaugural World Championships in Helsinki in 1983, no one other than Bubka has won the event.

So dominant has Bubka been that his crown has only been under serious threat once, in Tokyo in 1991 when he secured nis third title on his last attempt.

Now 33 and claiming to have fully recovered from the

1 achilleS iftjury that ended his Olympic hopis last year,0q#ka is ready to add another honour to his name.

Each year the young pretenders have lined up to take

his crown and each year he has repelled their attack.

The threat this year comes from France's Olympic champion Jean Galfione. Russia's 1992 Olympic champion Maksim Tarasov. South Africans Okkert Brits and Riaan Botha. Russian Igor Trandenkov and German Tim Lobinger.

It also probably comes from Bubka himself. The self-imposed pressure is Intense and, as he admits, his preparation has not been ideal.

"After injuring myself last year, I had to wait and see how the injury would heal. Eventually I needed an operation and

had that in December. So-from' December to May I did not have one single lump.

"Since May. I have only had two competitions but I have jumped 6.10 metres in training, and I am confident I can win the title again. I must be, or else I would not be here. I would not compete If I just thought I was going to be average."

Bubka also has a real place in his heart for these championships, in contrast to the Olympics in which he has won one gold medal and been Jinxed three times.

The World Championships mean something special to me, it is an emotional thing, it means a lot for me to win here,"

Tarasov escalated the psychological war on Wednesday when he said: "Sergei is under a lot of pressure. If he wins it will be the success of his life and if he loses there will be real drama."

Tarasov became only the fifth member of the exclusive six metres club at Nice when he cleared that height for the first time last month.

He is also one of the few men to beat Bubka in a major championship, winning the 1992 Olympic title after Bubka not heighten in the qualifying round.

Galfione. who also benefited from Bubka's Olympic problems when he won the gold in Atlanta last year, put some pressure on Tarasov at a good-humoured joint news conference organised by their kit sponsors.

"I think Tarasov is the favourite." he said. "But there is no doubt Bubka can win. he's a strong man."