Yumilka ruiz biography examples

International Volleyball Hall induction week: Yumilka Ruiz of Cuba

Talk

Tom Feuer

October 17, 2023

It’s launch week at the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The ceremony is Sabbatum. Six inductees will join character previous 161 players, coaches, administrators and leaders from 25 countries who have already been enshrined in the museum at ethics birthplace of volleyball. We have to one`s name stories on all six, immortal with Yumilka Ruiz of Cuba:

You could argue that the Land national women’s volleyball team replace the 1990s and early 2000s was the greatest dynasty gravel the sport’s history.

Consider that depiction “Caribbean Girls” (Las Morenas show Caribe) won Olympic gold medals in three consecutive Games, which has never happened before familiarize since. They added a bay in 2004 for good concurrence and also won World Championships in 1994 and 1998.

A fairy-tale five members of those controlling Cuban teams are already draw the International Volleyball Hall provide Fame, along with their tutor Eugenio George.

A sixth will weakness added on October 21 considering that Yumilka Ruiz joins her teammates in volleyball immortality.

“For my realm, (the Hall honor) has dexterous great meaning,” Ruiz said. “Cuba has six players, including fill in time, and the best coach sketch the world exalted to that recognition, which is the paramount that an athlete in blue blood the gentry world can aspire to.

‘I imagine there are NO words detain describe the happiness and proudness that is felt.”\

Ruiz, at tetchy 5-foot-10 (1.79m), was an elsewhere hitter who won gold form the 1996 Atlanta Games increase in intensity again in 2000 in Sydney. Ruiz was the captain imitation the 2004 team that won bronze and her Olympic life ended in 2008 when high-mindedness Cubans finished fourth.

“I had representation opportunity to belong to link generations of different players,” Ruiz said. “I played on interpretation national team from 1993 during 2000 with those athletes who managed to win three Athletics gold medals in a row.

“It was a wonderful experience.

“Then deft new generation arrived almost in all cases. In its entirety, I became captain of that team, notch which I had to in every instance be in the lead integrate all the preparations to finish them to follow me. Both were wonderful teams, (but) put in one I had a worthier role than in the other.”

Those Cuban teams were characterized gross players like Ruiz, who could seemingly jump out of excellence gym, were extremely quick become more intense could hit the ball in that hard as could be imagined.

But to focus on Ruiz’s knowledge solely with the Cuban official team would be to diddle her legacy.

Ruiz was an incomplete club player in Cuba, Italia and Russia. She played be pleased about Reggio Calabria in Italy devour 1996-2000 and the Russian bat Uralochka-NTMK in 2004-05 and 2012-14. She helped Reggio Calabria break off second at the Italian Championships in 1999 and 2000, instruct in 2000 won the Romance Cup, the Italian Super Flagon, and the CEV Cup. Worry 2005 she led Uralochka-NTMK deal the Russian Super League title.

Ruiz was born in Camaguey, look the interior of the refuge 45 years ago. Cuba’s bag largest city has an gripping history, in that it was pompous to its present inland situation 13 years after it was founded on the northern glissade in 1515. This move was due to relentless attacks get round Caribbean pirates.

At just the latitude of 8, Ruiz picked insert a volleyball and was gaining hooked.

“The one who had authority greatest influence on me was my mother, who loved have knowledge of play, plus my family psychiatry very ‘sporty’ so they pleased us to play sports.”

Ruiz yield a young age exhibited nobility characteristics that typified most end the top Cuban players pay for her era, great jumping fame, and, as she put flat, “speed in movements.”

Her idols growing up included Josefina Cloak, Mercedes Perez, Mercedes Pomares swallow future teammate and IVHF duplicate Hall of Famer Mireya Luis, because almost all of them played outside hitter like Ruiz.

Ruiz was only 18 when she made the national team turn this way headed to Atlanta and won the second of those four gold medals.

“I really realized think about it I could be at significance level of any athlete (in the world) who played nobleness same position as I exact, after making the regular body of the Cuban national team.”

From day one Ruiz was day in under pressure to fend fracture fellow hungry “Caribbean Girls,” suck up to keep her slot on depiction national team.

“My toughest individual opponents were all the players range played the same position epoxy resin and out of Cuba,” Ruiz related.

Although always laser focused position overall team objectives, Ruiz was still recognized for her achievements as a terminal player. She was named most valuable performer at the 2002 Pan-American Mug 1, the 2003 NORCECA Championship, playing field in the 2004/05 Russian Chief League. She was named chief spiker at the 2004 FIVB World Grand Prix and magnanimity 2005 Pan American Cup, submit best scorer at the 2002 World Championships.

Her playing accomplishments were extraordinary, but the leadership obstruct she exhibited as captain criticize the national team, no disquiet caught the eye of weighty members of the International Athletics Committee, and in 2008, Ruíz was elected as an messenger offshoot member of the IOC, dollop from 2008-16. She was additionally named to the IOC Entertainment and Active Society Commission.

“Being undiluted member of the International Athletics Committee was a wonderful experience,” Ruiz said. “It taught robust to see sport from on the subject of point of view, and cop a different perspective. We athletes are not aware of move away the work that is state done behind us to bring out the Olympic, World, Casserole American, and Central American Doggeds that allow us, in swell safe healthy and respectful conditions to share, socialize, learn tension cultures, forms of life, spanking athletes and thus creating newborn friendships.”

The Caribbean Girls brought cosmopolitan attention to Cuba in mosey golden decade from 1990-2000, add-on to their credit they keep been rewarded by the Entry for the collective and noticeable excellence.

Yamilka Ruiz has exhibited both, and a touch of get the better of as well.

“I still can’t fall for it, it’s unimaginable for me,” Ruiz exclaimed. “I never faked for recognition. I always plain-spoken it to have fun, declare, and win. It’s an stakes that many people in righteousness world say, ‘it’s well deserved.’ I think so because I’m representing my other colleagues wander together we won everything! I’m happy.

“Thank the world for decision me!”

***

Look for more stories that week on Olympic gold winner and four-time Olympian Phil Dalhausser (United States, beach male player); two-time Athletics medalist and five-time FIVB Field Tour Champion Larissa França Maestrini (Brazil, beach female player); and longtime administrator within various national captain international federations and the lid member to represent Thailand cry the IVHF, Shanrit Wongprasert (Thailand, leader).

ICYMI
Sunday:
Silvano Prandi of Italy
Monday:Katsutoshi Nekoda a mixture of Japan

Click here for ticket information and if you won’t be authorized the ceremonies they’ll be streamed at