"Please fill yours in ... not that we don't already know!"
In fact I doubt you do - certainly the young guns who join this great site every month have no idea. This is for their benefit. The problem is how do you keep the system democratic where everyone's opinion - prince or pauper - has the same value? While I do believe in democracy and freedom of speech I have a sneaking feeling that while all animals are equal, some are indeed more equal than others. This is why Beccas notion is good because us old greybeards may find their posts being read a bit more carefully than is sometimes the case.
Someone, perhaps you, KirkB, made the point that one has to consider other ideas -that perhaps Petrov is not the great messiah of pole vaulting. True indeed, so consider the folk I have spent time with over the past twenty years.
1979 Tom McNab London, One week British Jumps coach. Been a friend since 1960.
1979 Maurice Houvion, Two weeks Paris, Huge squad of international jumpers including Vigneron WR
1979 Anton Krupsky. Two weeks Leverkusen. German National coach
1979 Anje Krysinski Two weeks Warsaw. His two Olympic champions training there at the time.
1984 Olympic Games LA - met all kind of folk.
1986 Vitali Petrov - Have met him repeatedly in Formia, Adelaide, Canberra, Seville since that time. Sat with him through the 92 final.
1990.Dr. Jean Claude Perin. One week. Paris. Coach of 84 Champion Quinon among others. Attended a lecture by Houvion on the same visit.
1991. Roman Botcharnikov. 14 months. Very expensive -ate all our food and wrecked our car -previous driving experience was a T72 tank - but he didnt tell me that. We worked together all that time and have met several times since, including France last january. I hope this does not start a debate about who coached who but it seems LOJO gives him credit.
1996. Alex Parnov. I brought Alex to OZ. He lived with me for three months and I was able watch him work with Markov, Chystiakov and Grigorieva for two years. Coached a world Champion and an Olympic champion and the only coach - that I know of -who has had three 6m vaulters. Also his two daughters to world age records -including Vickie 4.40 at 16.
Mark Stewart. OZ for nearly 30 years we have interacted. He took Emma George to a WR and first 15' jump by a woman, coached Hooker from beginner to 5.92 and one of his squad, 18 year old Blake Lucas has Just won the OZ vault with 5.45.
2005? Rick Baggett. have seen Rick twice a year since then. Has never told me who he has coached but you only have to watch him to see he is a great coach
Then there is
Larry Berry Hill- Visited Provo three times and he came to Adelaide once. Very successful coach at BYU =several NCAA medalists
Jeremy Bailey. Just retired as BYU coach. Been in contact with him for five years or more/ Coached Robbie pratt to NCAA title.
Came with me to Formia in October 06. And his dad Larren when I did a clinic in Nampa.
At various times I have worked and learned from a whole list of guys
Kris Allison in San Antonio. Produces hordes of good vaulters. Had the good sense -which I would not have had -to leave Jason alone.
Bubba Sparks in The Woodlands. THE great enthusiast for the pole vault. Still trying to master the Petrov model at age 85.
Todd Cooper. Excelsior Springs. Many camps with Todd in past five years, where he has a great facility. Yet another really experienced vaulter and coach. A truly goodolboy!
Rusty Shealy. Columbia -a one week camp and I learned all I needed to know about this guy. Good coach who will always be successful. Could sell anything to anybody.
DJ. at the same camp. He obviously has vast experience. Unfortunately he thinks I am a Russian secret agent sent to the US to sabotage your vault program.
Joel Flores, Hawaii worked with him twice -another great enthusiast .met Tom Hinthaus there and debated the question whether others can jump like Bubka. He thinks not so we agreed to disagree.
Daniel Isaacs. Boone NC. Daniel will be upset to be mentioned in this company but he is doing a great job in difficult circumstances and asks very good questions! keeps me on my toes. However sometimes I think he'd rather be out shooting raccoons.
Daniel Bertolami. Pleasant Harbour NJ> Same as t'other daniel. Has immense enthusiasm -re energised me to be around him.
You have got to learn something from interacting with serious folk like this -
I could say I have learned something from Sean Brown - but I havent. He is just my table tennis Patsy!
Must not forget Steve Rippon who I have known since he began his coaching career in OZ in 1985 . Had great success and is now repeating that in Britain, See him regularly - was at Loughborough a few weeks ago and we are planning a dvd on high level training. I still suspect I have forgotten some folk -for which I apologise because they have all contributed something, Bubka himself -who I have discussed the vault on three separate occasions - dont want to forget him
So having considered all of these inputs I believe that the Petrov Bubka model is the best technical model for any athlete because it is biomechanically sound and can be mastered by average athletes -if the coach knows what they are doing. Too many american coaches have not accepted this - some because their ego wont let them, some because they are still locked into the ideas generated when flexible poles first arrived -some because of the strange idea that it is unAmerican to take up the model. They clearly have never heard the advice "If your opponent has a good idea, steal it".
Fortunately for me I will not have to deal with any of them on the next trip - that is unless Dean Starkey and Tim McMichael decide to play hard ball when we meet.
Its what you learn after you know it all that counts. John Wooden
word of Petrov's. We should keep our eyes open, and glean good coaching tips from ALL the PV experts in the world ... including youself, Alan! 
