Two-time Olympian and 2016 USA Track and Field Pole Vault Development/High Performance coach of the year is latest elite guest speaker in YouTube series

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Giovanni Lanaro, a two-time Olympic athlete for Mexico and the Mt. San Antonio College women’s cross country and track and field head coach, is the featured speaker at 5:30 p.m. PST Wednesday for the latest episode of the Pole Vault Coaching Series, discussing technical aspects of the plant and takeoff.

Lanaro, a West Covina High graduate, improved his vaulting from 11-6 (3.50m) to 17-8.50 (5.39m) from 2000 to 2001, eclipsing the Mt. SAC program record and winning both the California Community College Athletic Association state title and USA National Community College championship, before clearing 18-4.50 (5.60m) at Cal State Fullerton and becoming a three-time NCAA Division 1 All-American.

He represented Mexico at both the 2004 Olympics in Greece and the 2008 Summer Games in China, achieving his personal-best 19-1 (5.82m) at the 2007 Mt. SAC Relays to set the still-standing national record.

Lanaro has coached six pole vault state champions and was named the 2016 national collegiate pole vault coach of the year by the USA Track and Field Pole Vault Development/High Performance committee.

The Pole Vault Coaching Series Board is made up of Joel Block, Greg Hull, Todd Lehman, Jim Bemiller, David Butler and Brian Yokoyama. All the archived content is available on their YouTube channel.

Past featured speakers include: Stacy Dragila, Lawrence Johnson, Tim Mack, Derek Miles, Scott Kendricks, Tim Reilly, along with Greg Duplantis, Helena Duplantis and world record holder Armand “Mondo” Duplantis.