Yes, I have a pair of VSs - I've had them for years and I've never had a problem. They're pretty much only good for platform work but they've never let me down.
My old roommate went to olympic trials a few cycles ago. He said the main reason the US sucks is that we have a poor pipeline. Most olympic lifters come from other sports - there are a lot of ex-gymnasts and track athletes. In other countries olympic lifting is something kids get pipelined into in their early teens or younger. It also tends to draw the kinds of athletes who are also good at other sports that pay better and have more prestige. I wouldn't be surprised if a few NFLers couldn't put up numbers that were in world record territory.
My old roommate went to olympic trials a few cycles ago. He said the main reason the US sucks is that we have a poor pipeline. Most olympic lifters come from other sports - there are a lot of ex-gymnasts and track athletes. In other countries olympic lifting is something kids get pipelined into in their early teens or younger. It also tends to draw the kinds of athletes who are also good at other sports that pay better and have more prestige. I wouldn't be surprised if a few NFLers couldn't put up numbers that were in world record territory.