Yumilka Ruiz

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Ruiz and the second or maternal family name is Luaces.

Yumilka Daysi Ruíz Luaces (born 8 May 1978, in Camagüey), more commonly known as Yumilka Ruíz, is a retired volleyball player from Cuba who represented her native country in four consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1996.^[1] She won Olympic gold medals with the national team in 1996^[2] and 2000.^[3] She also claimed the bronze at the 2004 Olympics.^[4] As an outside hitter, she was integral to the dominance of the Cuban team in the late 1990s and early 2000s.^[5]

Yumilka Ruíz
Personal information
Full name	Yumilka Ruíz Luaces
Born	(1978-05-08) 8 May 1978 (age 46) Camagüey, Cuba
Hometown	Camagüey, Cuba
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	62 kg (137 lb)
Spike	3.29 m (130 in)
Block	3.15 m (124 in)
Volleyball information
Position	Outside hitter
Number	1
National team
1996–2008  Cuba
Honours Women's volleyball Representing  Cuba Olympic Games 1996 Atlanta Team 2000 Sydney Team 2004 Athens Team World Championship 1998 Japan Team FIVB World Cup 1999 Japan Team World Grand Champions Cup 1997 Japan World Grand Prix 2000 Quezon City 1996 Shanghai 1997 Kobe 2008 Yokohama 1995 Shanghai 1998 Hong Kong Pan American Games 2007 Rio de Janeiro Team 2003 Santo Domingo Team NORCECA Championship 2007 Winnipeg Pan-American Cup 2007 Colima Central American and Caribbean Games 1993 Ponce Team 2006 Cartagena Team

In 2023, Ruíz was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame.^[1][5]

Club volleyball

Ruíz played the 2004–05 season with the Russian club Uralochka-NTMK, where she set the record of scoring 53 points in a single match and led her team to the championship title.^[6][1]

Ruíz retired in 2008 at age 30.^[7] At 1.79 m (5'10"), she had a jump reach of 3.29 m (10'10") at the peak of her career.^[8]

After three years of inactivity, Ruíz made a comeback in 2012 to play in Russian League for Uralochka-NTMK Ekaterinburg, and participated in the European Champions League.^[9] She retired in 2014.^[5]

International Olympic Committee

In August 2008, Ruíz was elected to an eight-year term to the Athletes' Commission of the International Olympic Committee by athletes that cast votes.^[10]

Clubs

• Medinex Reggio Calabria (1996–2000)
• Ciudad Habana (2000–2006)
• Uralochka-NTMK (2004–2005)
• Camagüey (2006–2008)
• Uralochka-NTMK (2012–2014)

Awards

Individuals

• 2002 Pan-American Cup "Most Valuable Player"
• 2002 World Championship "Best Scorer"
• 2003 NORCECA Championship "Most Valuable Player"
• 2004 FIVB World Grand Prix "Best Spiker"
• 2005 Pan-American Cup "Best Spiker"
• 2004-2005 Russian Super League "Most Valuable Player"

Clubs

• 1998 CEV Cup – Runner-up, with Medinex Reggio Calabria
• 1999 Italian Cup – Runner-up, with Medinex Reggio Calabria
• 1998-99 Italian Championship – Runner-up, with Medinex Reggio Calabria
• 1999-00 Italian Championship – Runner-up, with Medinex Reggio Calabria
• 2000 Italian Cup – Champion, with Medinex Reggio Calabria
• 2000 Italian Super Cup – Champion, with Medinex Reggio Calabria
• 2000 CEV Cup – Champion, with Medinex Reggio Calabria
• 2004-05 Russian Super League – Champion, with Uralochka-NTMK

References

1. Coll Untoria, Jorge Luis (16 June 2023). "Yumilka Ruiz, up to the sky in a kite". Oncubanews.com. Archived from the original on 18 June 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
2. Wilson, Bernie (3 August 1996). "Cuba Wins Volleyball Gold". The Washington Post. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
3. "Cuba women win third consecutive Olympic title". CNN/SI. 12 October 2000. Archived from the original on 16 April 2004. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
4. "Cuba wins women's volleyball bronze by beating Brazil". USA Today. Associated Press. 29 August 2004. Archived from the original on 19 September 2008. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
5. Feuer, Tom (22 May 2023). "2023 Volleyball Hall class includes Phil Dalhausser, Larissa, Katsutoshi Nekoda, Yumilka Ruiz". Volleyballmag.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
6. "КУБИНСКИЙ КАРНАВАЛ В ПОДМОСКОВНОЙ ЛОБНЕ" [Cuban Carnival in the Moscow region]. Sport Express (in Russian). 19 February 2005. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
7. "Yumilka Ruiz ratifica su retiro del deporte activo" [Yumilka Ruiz confirms her retirement from active sports]. Granma (in Spanish). 10 October 2008. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
8. "Highest Spike Touches". Volleywood.net. 3 November 2012. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
9. "1 Yumilka Ruiz Luaces". European Volleyball Confederation. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
10. Qintu, Si (21 August 2008). "Four athletes elected to IOC Athletes' Commission, Chinese hurdler Liu fail to prevail". CCTV. Xinhua. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2010.

External links

• Yumilka Ruíz Luaces at Olympics.com
• Olympedia profile: Yumilka Ruíz
• Volleybox.net profile
• FIVB profile
• Uralochka-NTMK profile (archived)
• Medinex profile (archived)
• Sports-reference.com profile (archived)
• Yumilka Ruiz at databaseOlympics.com (archived)
• Yumilka Ruiz on the battle for volleyball gold at Sydney (interview)

Awards
Preceded by Elizaveta Tishchenko	Best Spiker of FIVB World Grand Prix 2004	Succeeded by Rosir Calderón