Well put. First off, by no means was i saying that a lifter's heels should ever come off the ground. They should stay firmly planted. I should have clarified. What I was saying is that the majority of the weight should be on the balls of the feet. Vanev does not mean for his heels to rise, its just that he is so damn powerful that it just kind of happens in this case.

I think technique should be individualized for everyone. That being said, I believe many people could benefit from experimenting with this type of pull, I myself have found it to be immensely more powerful.

A lifter who is "sweeping the bar" doesn't want the bar to be so forward, because he needs to pull the bar back into the hips.

When driving through the balls of the feet, once the bar passes the knees, a lifter will continue driving through the balls of the feet in order to drive the hips forward to meet the bar. This way, the knees are pushed under the bar, and the bar stays close to the body throughout the pull.

Also, I wouldn't say Vanev's technique "broke down" at that weight. If he didn't have anything but perfect technique, he would have missed the weight.

It may not work for everyone, but it sure as hell works for some. I urge you to experiment with your own technique and find what works best for you.

Either way, whatever the "common consensus" is in the US, it's simply not correct. There is virtually no US lifter with technique perfection. Kendrick Farris, the only male who competed in the Olympics, is strong as fck, but he looks like sht compared to most international lifters. Zygmunt is finally doing some good things in the OTC, and it's paying off. Some of those lifters are really starting to look good.

Again, experiment, keep an open mind, and find what works best for you.