Magaly Carvajal | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Personal information | |||||
Full name | Magalys Esther Carvajal Rivera | ||||
Nationality | Cuban/Spanish/American | ||||
Born | Havana, Cuba | 18 December 1968||||
Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||
Volleyball information | |||||
Position | Middle blocker | ||||
Number | 15 (Cuban national team) | ||||
National team | |||||
| |||||
Honours |
Magalys Carvajal Rivera (born 18 December 1968), more commonly known as Magaly Carvajal, is a retired Cuban volleyball player and two-time Olympian. As a middle blocker, she led Cuba to gold medals in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. [1] [2] [3]
Carvajal also helped Cuba win the silver medal in the 1986 FIVB World Championship in Czechoslovakia and the gold medal in the 1994 FIVB World Championship in Brazil. [2] Additionally, she won gold medals in the 1989, 1991, and 1995 FIVB World Cups in Japan. [2] [4]
Carvajal was a starter at just 17 years of age with the Cuban team in the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis, [5] where she won a gold medal. [6] She also participated in the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana and the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata, winning a gold medal in each event. [6] After winning her second Olympic gold medal in 1996, Carvajal announced her retirement from the Cuban team. [7]
Carvajal is widely regarded as one of the greatest middle blockers of all time, standing at 1.90 meters (6'3") tall. [2] She was known for shutting down the greatest hitters in the world. [8] Her vertical jump reach of 3.35 meters (11') was rivaled only by teammate Mireya Luis. [2] Her stare was known to intimidate players at the net, and has been called by many of her peers "the look of death". [2] Carvajal was also an effective hitter. [2] [9]
In 2011, Carvajal was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame. [2] [10]
Carvajal became a naturalized citizen of Spain in 1998, and played on the Spanish women's national volleyball team from 2001 to 2002. [10]
Carvajal had a successful transition to the Spanish volleyball league, becoming a dominant player. In 2003–04, she led Spar Tenerife Marichal to the European Champions League title. [10]
In June 2020, Carvajal announced on Facebook that she became a United States citizen. [11]