Ihosvany Hernández

Ihosvany Hernández Rivera (born (1972-08-06)6 August 1972), more commonly known as Ihosvany Hernández, is a Cuban former volleyball player and three-time Olympian. Hernández played with the Cuban men's national volleyball team at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, and the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.^[1][2] He was the captain of the Cuban team at the Sydney Olympics.^[3] Standing at 2.06 meters (6'9") in height, he was a middle blocker.^[4]

Ihosvany Hernández
Personal information
Full name	Ihosvany Hernández Rivera
Born	(1972-08-06) 6 August 1972 (age 52) Havana, Cuba
Height	2.06 m (6 ft 9 in)
Weight	90 kg (198 lb)
Volleyball information
Position	Middle blocker
Number	14
Career
Years Teams 1989–1990 Ciudad de Habana
National team
1989–2001  Cuba
Honours Men's volleyball Representing  Cuba World Championship 1990 Brazil Team 1998 Japan Team FIVB World Cup 1989 Japan 1991 Japan World League 1998 Milan 1994 Milan 1997 Moscow 1999 Mar del Plata World Grand Champions Cup 2001 Japan Team 1997 Japan Pan American Games 1991 Havana Team 1999 Winnipeg Team 1995 Mar del Plata Team Central American and Caribbean Games 1998 Maracaibo Team

World Cups and World Championships

Playing for the Cuban national team, Hernández won a gold medal at the 1989 FIVB World Cup in Japan, a silver medal at the 1990 FIVB World Championship in Brazil, a silver medal at the 1991 FIVB World Cup in Japan, and a bronze medal at the 1998 FIVB World Championship in Japan.^[4][2]

Pan American Games

Hernández also helped the Cuban national team win gold medals at the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana and 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, and the bronze medal at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata.^[2]

2001 Defection

In 2001, Hernández was one of six players on the Cuban men's national volleyball team to leave a hotel they stayed at in Flanders for a tournament, and from there rode a train to Italy for political asylum.^[5] The other players were Leonel Marshall, Jorge Luis Hernández, Ángel Dennis, Yasser Romero, and Ramón Gato.^[5] Once they were granted asylum in Italy, this group was referred to as "the defectors".^[5]

Clubs

• Ciudad de Habana (1989–1990)

References

1. "Cuban volleyball team at the 2000 Summer Olympics". Sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
2. "Ihosvany Hernández". Olympedia. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
3. "Sydney 2000: Roundup; Russia Ousts Cuba in Men's Volleyball". The New York Times. Associated Press. 28 September 2000. p. S7. Retrieved 5 September 2024. (subscription required)
4. "Medals". Volleybox.net. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
5. "The Defectors a Decade Later". Volleywood.net. 30 December 2011. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2023.

External links

• Ihosvany Hernández at Olympics.com
• Ihosvany Hernández at the European Volleyball Confederation
• Ihosvany Hernández at Lega Pallavolo Serie A (in Italian)
• Ihosvany Hernández at Olympedia
• Volleybox.net profile
• Ihosvany Hernández profile at Sports-reference.com (archived)