Born in the USSR, Aleksandr Averbukh competed as a decathlete for Russia and after moving to Israel in 1999 rose to the top level in pole vault, winning silver (2002) and bronze (1999) medals at the World Championships.

He also won gold medals at the European championships (2000, 2002, 2006) and the Maccabiah Games (2013).

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.