Regla Torres

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Regla Torres
Torres Herrera in 2009
Personal information
Full nameRegla Radameris Torres Herrera
Born (1975-02-12) 12 February 1975 (age 49)
Havana, Cuba
HometownHavana, Cuba
Height1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight75 kg (165 lb)
Spike331 cm (130 in)
Block315 cm (124 in)
Volleyball information
PositionFront blocker
Number10
Career
Teams
Ciudad Habana
National team
1991–2002 Cuba

Regla Torres Herrera (born 12 February 1975), more commonly known as Regla Torres, is a Cuban former volleyball player who won three Olympic gold medals with the Cuban women's national volleyball team. Torres began playing on the international circuit at the age of 14.[1] As a middle blocker, she was a key player in the dominance of the Cuban national team of the 1990s.[1][2]

In 2001, Torres was the recipient of the "Best Player of the 20th Century" award by the FIVB[3] and was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame.[1]

Early life

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Torres was born in Havana, Cuba on 12 February 1975.[4] Since she was a young girl, Torres was encouraged by teachers to play sports due to her height.[2] Though her parents separated while she was in primary school, both were involved in her upbringing.[2] While Torres was more interested in the high jump than volleyball, her mother insisted that she focus on the latter.[2] In the fourth grade, Torres was sent to a sports school to develop her athletic talent.[2] At the age of 14, she was sent to the Cerro Pelado school, where she quickly developed her volleyball skills.[2] She then joined the national team in 1989.[2]

Career

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Olympic Games

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Torres won her first Olympic gold medal in 1992 in Barcelona at the age of 17.[1][5] She helped her team to additional gold medals at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and the 2000 Olympics in Sydney,[6] achieving the extraordinary feat of winning three Olympics in a row.[1][5] She was selected as the best spiker at the Sydney Olympics.[3]

Pan American Games

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Torres helped the Cuban team to the gold medal at the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana, at the age of 16.[4] She won another gold medal with the national team at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata.[4]

World Cups and World Championships

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Torres helped Cuba win gold medals at the 1991 and 1995 FIVB World Cup in Japan.[1] She also helped Cuba win the 1994 FIVB World Championship in Brazil and the 1998 FIVB World Championship in Japan, and was selected as the MVP in both tournaments.[7]

World Grands Prix

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Torres won additional gold medals with the Cuban team at the 1993 and 2000 FIVB World Grand Prix in Japan.[1][2]

Awards

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  • Three-time Olympic gold medal — 1992, 1996, 2000
  • Two-time FIVB World Cup gold medal — 1991, 1995
  • Two-time Pan American Games gold medal — 1991, 1995
  • Two-time FIVB World Grand Prix gold medal — 1993, 2000
  • Two-time FIVB World Championship gold medal — 1994, 1998
  • Two-time FIVB World Championship MVP — 1994, 1998
  • Olympic best spiker, MVP — Sydney 2000
  • FIVB Best Player of the 20th Century — 2001
  • International Volleyball Hall of Fame — 2001

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Regla Torres Herrera". International Volleyball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 22 August 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Coll Untoria, Jorge Luis (27 November 2023). "La armadura de Regla Torres". Oncubanews.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Best Volleyball Player Of The 20th Century - Female". FIVB. Archived from the original on 21 December 2001. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  4. ^ a b c "Regla Torres". Olympedia. Archived from the original on 16 May 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  5. ^ a b "'The Spectacular Caribbean Girls': Cuba's three volleyball golds in a row". Olympics.com. 19 January 2021. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  6. ^ Roberts, Selena (1 October 2000). "Sydney 2000: Volleyball; Cuba Cruises to Third Straight Gold". The New York Times. sec. 8 p. 13. Retrieved 6 September 2024. (subscription required)
  7. ^ Gunston, Jo (22 September 2022). "Volleyball: The most asked questions about women's indoor volleyball". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
[edit]
Awards
Preceded by
First Award
Best Server of
FIVB World Grand Prix

1993
Succeeded by