Andrea Giani is an Italian professional volleyball coach and former player who scored numerous successes in the 1990s, including three World Championships with his national team. He is considered one of the best volleyball players ever. He was an all-rounder able to play both as outside hitter and as middle blocker, but he played several times as opposite too.
Sport in France plays an important role in French society, which is reflected in its popularity among the French people and the nation's strong sporting history. Various types of sports are played and followed in France, notably cycling, football, and handball, which has earned France eight victories in world championships and five Olympic medals. France is also the three-time European champion of handball.
Sport in Romania are an important part of the country's culture. Romania has risen to prominence in a number of sporting areas in recent decades. Association football is the most popular sport in Romania, a nation of 20 million. The most successful club is Steaua Bucharest, who were the first Eastern European side to win the European Cup and the European Supercup in 1986. Romania is one of only four national teams from Europe that took part in the first World Cup in 1930. The Romania national football team has taken part in seven FIFA World Cups and had its most successful run during the 1990s, when they reached the quarterfinals of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, losing to Sweden in the penalty shootout. Romania was ranked third by FIFA in 1997.
Tara Cross-Battle is a retired volleyball player from the United States, who won the bronze medal with the USA National Women's Team at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. She played NCAA women's volleyball for California State University, Long Beach, where she helped lead her team to the 1989 NCAA Championship title. In 1990, she won the Honda-Broderick Award as the nation's best female collegiate volleyball player.
Aleksey Igorevich Verbov is a retired Russian volleyball player, a former member of Russia men's national volleyball team and the Russian club Zenit Kazan. He is currently coaching the men's Zenit Kazan team.
Clayton Iona "Clay" Stanley is an American volleyball player, a member of United States men's national volleyball team, a participant of the Olympic Games, Olympic Champion 2008, NORCECA Champion 2005, multimedalist of the World League.
Bernardo Rocha de Rezende, known as Bernardo Rezende and nicknamed Bernardinho, is a Brazilian volleyball coach and former player. He is the current coach of the female volleyball team Rio de Janeiro Vôlei Clube. Rezende is the most successful coach in the history of volleyball, accumulating more than 30 major titles in twenty-year career directing the Brazilian male and female teams.
Chafik Besseghier is a French figure skater. He is a two-time International Cup of Nice champion and the 2016 and 2018 French national champion. He has won a total of fourteen senior international medals and finished in the top ten at three ISU Championships.
Aidan Zingel is an Australian volleyball player. He competed for Australia at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Sport in Slovakia is influenced by its climate and geography; popular summer sports include football, tennis, volleyball, swimming, cycling and hiking, popular winter sports include skiing and snowboarding. The most watched sports in Slovakia are football, ice hockey and tennis. Internationally, the most successful sport in Slovakia is ice hockey where currently, as of 2022, the country is ranked as the eighth best team in the world by the IIHF World Ranking.
Mexico competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's twenty-third appearance at the Summer Olympics. The Mexican Olympic Committee sent the nation's largest delegation to the Games since 1972, with a total of 124 athletes, 80 men and 44 women, competing across 26 sports.
Graham Saxton Vigrass is a Canadian former professional volleyball player. He was a member of the Canada national team, a participant at the Olympic Games, and a bronze medallist at the 2017 World League
Nicholas "Nick" Hoag is a Canadian male volleyball player. He is a member of the Canada men's national volleyball team, a participant in the 2016 Summer Olympics, a gold and silver medallist at the NORCECA Men's Volleyball Championship in 2015 and 2013, and a bronze medallist at the 2015 Pan American Games.
Steven James Douglas Marshall is a Canadian male volleyball player. He is a member of the Canada men's national volleyball team and German club Berlin Volleys. Steven was also a participant in the 2016 Summer Olympics, the 2020 Summer Olympics, a gold medallist at the NORCECA Men's Volleyball Championship in 2015, and a bronze medallist at the 2015 Pan American Games.
Laurent Tillie is a French professional volleyball coach and former player. He was a member of the France national team from 1982 to 1995 and a participant in the Olympic Games. He currently serves as head coach for the Japanese team, Panasonic Panthers.
Dmitry Fomin or Dmitri Fomine is a former Russian male volleyball player. He was part of the Soviet Union men's national volleyball team at the 1990 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship and was later part of the Russia men's national volleyball team at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Fomin won MVP Award in World League 1995 and World Cup 1991.
Éric Bouvier is a former French male volleyball player. He was part of the France men's national volleyball team at the 1988 Summer Olympics and 1992 Summer Olympics. He also played at the 1986 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship in France and 1990 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship in Brazil. He played for ASU Lyon.
Arnaud Josserand is a former French male volleyball player. He was part of the France men's national volleyball team at the 1990 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship in Brazil and 1992 Summer Olympics.
Philippe-Marie Salvan is a former French male volleyball player. He was part of the France men's national volleyball team at the 1988 Summer Olympics and 1992 Summer Olympics. He also played at the 1990 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship in Brazil.
Daniel Jansen Van Doorn is a Canadian male volleyball player. He is a member of the Canada men's national volleyball team and French club Tours VB, a gold medallist at the 2015 Men's NORCECA Volleyball Championship, and a competitor at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
