Unread postby RPVA03 » Tue Feb 16, 2010 10:23 pm
I don't think that any other vaulter has been able to match the technical ability of Bubka, well, minus Isinbayeva. I think that is the reason that some vaulters working on the Petrov model have not gone as high. You can be working on a technical model, but that does not mean you have mastered it. It takes a lot of time to MASTER a difficult skill like the pole vault. Some might have gotten close, such as Markov etc., but have not mastered it. You cannot just say that because there has been no one able to beat Bubka that the model is bunked. There are plenty of novice vaulters out there that use the Petrov model, and perform better as a result. You can't say that just because they are using that model that they should be able to beat Bubka's record.
Look at the 10,000 hour rule where in order to completely master a skill, you must put in 10,000 hours of deliberate practice. Now, that adds up to 4 hours a day, every day, for 10 years. Most pole vaulters never get there because they start when they are too old and their body deteriorates before they can reach 10,000 hours. That is A LOT of pole vaulting, most peoples bodies simply cannot handle that. Perhaps Bubka had 10,000 hours or more of deliberate practice under his belt, maybe not. But, I wonder how many other vaulters have logged in as many hours as him, especially when working on the correct technical model for the ENTIRE time. (Remember, it takes a ton of practice to switch technical models.)
Before we hold the coaches completely accountable, and ask why they have not produced any vaulters better than Bubka, we must consider the discipline of the vaulter. Do they have what it takes to work hard enough to master said skill. Coaches can show an athlete the door, but they must walk through it. Also, does the vaulter have the physical parameters necessary to compete at that level? One can put in the practice time necessary to master the motions of the vault, but if their body is not capable of producing the ballistic muscle force, they will not be able to compete with someone who can produce that force and has also mastered the motions.
Luck also comes into play. Athletes must be lucky enough to find themselves in a situation where an excellent coach who is teaching the correct model can guide them. They must also have the resources and equipment necessary to take them to that level.
I think it is very important to take all these factors into account before negating a technical model that is so biomechanically sound/superior because no one has been able to match a world record. Remember, Isinbayeva has been pushing the women’s record higher by mastering this technical model.
