Joël_Despaigne

Joël Despaigne

Joël Despaigne

Cuban volleyball player

Joël Despaigne Charles (born 2 July 1966, in Santiago de Cuba), more commonly known as Joël Despaigne, is a retired volleyball player from Cuba who represented his native country in two consecutive Summer Olympics: the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona (fourth place) and the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta (sixth place).[1] He was the captain of the Cuban national volleyball team in the early 1990s.[2]

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In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Despaigne, known by his nickname "El Diablo" ("The Devil"), was considered among the best volleyball players in the world.[2] He was known for his jumping ability, with a vertical jump estimated to be around 40 inches (1.02 m).[3] He was a powerful spiker, with a spike speed of about 75 miles per hour (121 kph).[2] He had about 350 appearances with the Cuban national team.[4]

Despaigne led the Cuban team to the gold medal at the 1989 FIVB World Cup in Japan.[4] He also helped the Cuban team win the silver medal at the 1990 FIVB World Championship in Brazil,[1] and was named the best player in the world in 1990 by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).[4] He then helped the Cuban team win the gold medal at the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana,[1] followed by the silver medal at the 1991 FIVB World Cup in Japan.[5]

In 2020, Despaigne won a Fair Play Menarini International Award in the category of "Fair Play" for his sportsmanship.[6]

Coaching

Despaigne lives in Italy and works as a volleyball coach.[4]

Personal life

Despaigne married María Teresa Santamaría, who was a member of the Cuban women's national volleyball team in the 1980s.[7]

References

  1. [1]
    "Joël Despaigne". Olympedia. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  2. [2]
    Farrey, Tom (2 August 1990). "Cuba's Sultan Of Spike -- Some Hail Despaigne As World's Top Player". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  3. [3]
    Wilbon, Michael (15 August 1991). "Despaigne Leads Cuba to Volleyball Superiority". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  4. [4]
    Damini, Egle. "Joël Despaigne: history and training of the devil from Cuba that made the volleyball world tremble". Technogym.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  5. [5]
    "Player tournaments". Volleybox.net. Archived from the original on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  6. [6]
    "2020 Edition". Fair Play Menarini International Award. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  7. [7]
    Nack, William (22 July 1992). "Put-down Artist". Sports Illustrated. New York City: Time Inc. Retrieved 2 February 2024. (subscription required)
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