" but bubka's "lack of efficiency" came from one issue and one alone... that issue eventually gets the best of the best and will even "get' izzi if she isn't careful... it happened to gatalin and he was every bit the a$$ kicker bubka was...
that issue...? to stiff of a pole and like slick said...maybe to much grip..."
With all due respect to your grey hair and experience dj that is an amazing statement - SURELY THE OBJECTIVE OF ANY AMBITIOUS AND TALENTED VAULTER IS TO GRIP HIGHER ON BIGGER POLES - so that they can clear higher bars! How often did Bubka land short -get into danger - because he was using a pole which was too big or because he gripped too high??? And again it was not his speed on the runway that allowed him to jump high on those poles with safety it was a technique which enabled him to put energy into the pole from the first step until he pushed off the top -take another look at agapits continuous chain!
I suggest that you direct your concern about that to all of the high school kids and their coaches in the US who ARE putting themselves in danger because of those issues
There are no prizes for style in the pole vault - however there are for a technique which enables you to grip high on big poles - a la the Petrov?Bubka model. Yes Petrov/Bubka!! Petrov devised it with help from other Soviet coaches, taught it to Bubka who demonstrated it pretty well/ remember he jumped the magic 6.00metres in 1985!!!! But dont let us forget the next two highest vaulters in history - Tarasov and Markov - different style - same technical model.
Interesting to note that Petrov thinks Walker is the closest of 'foreign' vaulters to that model!
Its what you learn after you know it all that counts. John Wooden