David, since you are on the spot you probably have a better handle on this than me BUT this is my version. I met up with Roman again in 96 in Atlanta and discussed the idea of him coming out to OZ to take over my group. The problem was that at that time there was no funding so he would have to do what he had done in 91/92 - live with us and I pay him pocket money. Clearly that was not a good solution -but I was prepared to try to do something better for him because in my view he would have done a great job.. However after I got back to OZ Roman called and said he had a position coaching LOjo and as I understand it he did so through the world indoors and next Olympics. I believe Steve Chappell got them together initially.
Meanwhile Roman had introduced me to Alex Parnov as we watched the competition . Alex told me at that time he wanted to get out of Russia. Alex contacted me again after I got back so I set about finding something for him. As a result he came out in October 96 bringing Markov and Chystiakov. All three lived with me until their families arrived in January 97. The rest is history as they say -although that story still has some time to run.
The thing that intrigues me is - that while in my view Roman would be a fantastic resource in the vault - I am being told that he did nothing in Knoxville and that no one made use of him. I find that incredible because anyone who wanted to study the petrov model - even if they wanted to reject it -would/should have made use of him.
I certainly wish he could have coached Christie Elwin when she arrived at Tennessee! 3.99m at 17 , determined intelligent and talented , she should have jumped 4.50 while on scholarship there but as you know only improved a measly three centimetres in four years. Your arrival in her final year was three years too late unfortunately.
Clearly Jim B is an excellent coach and this discussion - at least from my point of view - has never been about him. My interest lies simply in the question of Romans contribution to the vault in the town where he lives. If he made no contribution that is one thing - if no one asked him to make a contribution that is something of a completely different order. Because it would confirm my concerns about folk who claim to have studied the Petrov model but clearly have not talked to the one person in the USA who is probably the best qualified to discuss it.
Its what you learn after you know it all that counts. John Wooden