Serhiy Bubka returns to the leadership of the Ukrainian NOC after a long stay abroad

Return to the governing bodies of the Olympic movement

On 6 October 2026, Serhiy Bubka officially became a member of the Executive Committee of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine. This decision was made after the former NOC president had spent four years outside the country. Bubka left Ukraine in 2022, and since then his primary place of residence has been France.

Circumstances of departure and current place of residence

According to the athlete himself, he left the country in the first days of the full-scale invasion at the request of then-President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach. On 28 February, Bubka reached Uzhhorod, where he crossed the state border. In July of the same year, he left Ukraine for the second time and has not returned since.

According to journalists' data, Bubka currently lives with his family in the French town of Èze, located near Monaco. He has also been spotted multiple times in the stands at matches of the football club “Monaco”.

International career and positions

Despite being abroad, Bubka continues active activity in the global sports environment. In 2024, he was re-elected to the position of a member of the International Olympic Committee. In addition, he heads the International Masters Games Association and has served as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador since 2003.

Criticism and investigations

Bubka's activities after the start of the full-scale war have repeatedly sparked waves of criticism. In 2023, an investigation by Bihus.Info revealed that his family had businesses in the occupied territories. After the publication of this data, the “Chesno” movement included the athlete in the Register of Traitors, and the Security Service of Ukraine initiated an investigation into the activities of companies associated with him.

Bubka himself denied any ties with Russia, claiming that a campaign of discreditation had been organised against him. Meanwhile, according to the materials of the “TV Toronto” investigation, in 2023 he received dividends from a company that operated in occupied Donetsk.

Government decision on status

In 2025, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree terminating the payment of a state scholarship to Serhiy Bubka. Despite this, the title of Hero of Ukraine, which the athlete had previously received, has not yet been annulled.