Beach Volleyball to take centre stage at London 2012

Beach Volleyball to take centre stage at London 2012

Beach Volleyball to take centre stage at London 2012

Beach Volleyball to take centre stage at London 2012

Beach Volleyball to take centre stage at London 2012

Monday, December 1, 2008

This Week's University of California, Irvine Sports Notes

Men’s Basketball

The UC Irvine men’s basketball team was handed its worst loss in 12 years by Idaho, who prevailed with the 101-47 victory on Friday night at Cowan Spectrum in Moscow, ID.

The Anteaters have played their best basketball against their best opponents, and their worst against the worst.

UCI’s record fell to 0-4 as Idaho improved to 4-4. Terrence Simmons paced Idaho with 18 points. Idaho shot an incredible 74.2 percent from the field in the second half and 62.9 percent for the game. While Idaho was on its hottest night, UCI was probably in its coldest as it shot an abysmal 26.3 percent for the game.

The Vandals broke out to an early 15-0 lead to open the game and never looked back. Senior Kevin Bland got UCI on the board with a basket with 14:36 left in the half.

Idaho would race for a huge 42-16 lead at halftime by closing out with a 17-5 run. The Vandals would continue their torrid shooting and finish with a 12-2 run to cap the 54-point victory.

Senior Brett Lauer was the lone Anteater in double figures with 12 points on four for five shooting, including three for three from three-point range.

Idaho out-rebounded UCI 50-26 for the game.


Women’s Volleyball

In his final season at UC Irvine, Head Coach Charlie Brande received the Big West Conference Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Lady Anteaters to a 12-4 Big West record (17-12) overall. It was the first time any UCI women’s volleyball coach recieved that honor. The Anteaters led the Big West in kills, digs, and assists. They also won 10 of their last 12 games to finish second in the conference.

Senior Lauren Kellerman and sophomore Kari Pestolesi were named to the Big West First Team. It was Kellerman’s third consecutive honor and Pestolesi’s second. Kellerman recorded 393 kills on the year, and Pestolesi finished with 20 double doubles (kills/digs).

Senior Devon Sutherland earned her second Big West Honorable Mention. Sutherland finishes her career as the UCI leader in digs with 1,756.

Freshman Alex Hauser was voted to the All Big West Freshman Team. She was third on the team with 62 blocks on the season.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Strong support shown for "6+5" at meeting with French sports minister

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter held very productive meetings regarding "6+5" with French sports minister Bernard Laporte and a delegation representing FIFPro at the Home of FIFA in Zurich this week.

On Tuesday 17 June, the FIFA President welcomed Mr Laporte to a meeting that was also attended by President of the French FA Jean-Pierre Escalettes and President of the French League Frédéric Thiriez. Commenting on this meeting the next day in a programme on French television channel Canal+, the French sports minister said: "I told Mr Blatter that I think the 6+5 proposal is a good idea. I think it is in the interest of all of us, of education and of our young players, and that it applies not only to football, but also to rugby, volleyball and indeed all sports. It is our responsibility to debate this issue and examine it fully."

On Wednesday, Mr Blatter hosted a delegation from FIFPro, led by FIFPro Europe President Philippe Piat and by FIFPro Secretary General Theo Van Seggelen, who also stressed their support for the objectives of "6+5".

"I am encouraged by the support that we have received in the past few days and this gives me even greater motivation to continue working on '6+5', with further meetings to be held next week," said the FIFA President, who will receive a delegation from the IOC, including its Chairman of International Relations Mario Pescante and representatives from the international federations of five team sports (basketball, handball, ice hockey, rugby and volleyball) at the Home of FIFA in Zurich on Wednesday, 25 June.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Beijing 2008 Olympic Games - Women's Beach Volleyball : photos

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Beach Volleyball Photos - Beijing Olympics 2008

Sunday, August 31, 2008

All-time greats in the history of the Olympic Games

Nadia Elena Comaneci
Nadia Elena Comaneci is a winner of five Olympic gold medals, and the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event. Comaneci was the first Romanian gymnast to win the all-around title at the Olympics. She is also the youngest-ever Olympic gymnastics all-around champion.




Mark Spitz
Mark Spitz gave swimming an unparalleled and unforgettable memory in Munich. A total of seven gold medals, and as many world records, were won by the determined Californian during the Games of 1972, adding to what he described as his "disappointing" haul of five medals in 1968.




Carl Lewis
Carl Lewis won 10 Olympic medals including 9 golds, and 10 World Championships medals, of which 8 were golds, in a career that spanned from 1979 when he first achieved a world ranking to 1996 when he last won an Olympic title and subsequently retired. He was voted "Sportsman of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee and was also named "Olympian of the Century" by Sports Illustrated. He also helped transform track and field from its nominal amateur status to its current professional status.




Paavo Nurmi
If long distance running was in need of a role model, one would have to look no further than Paavo Nurmi. The legendary Finn smashed an incredible 22 world records, winning nine Olympic golds on the way. Nurmi won a total of 12 Olympic medals across three Games --- 1920, 1924 and 1928.




Jesse Owens
The German head of state had done everything in its power to leave a taste of Nazi propaganda in the mouths of all the competing nations at the 1936 Olympic Games. Jesse Owens, born the son of a slave in 1913 in segregated Alabama, however, left his own mark by winning four gold medals which would turn Adolf Hitler's theory of racial supremacy on its head.




Dawn Fraser
Whether it was due to a modest background, or a refusal to give up swimming even when banned in the early stages of her career, Dawn Fraser's determination led her to battle adversity and ultimately conquer the sprint events at three consecutive Olympic Games -- 1956, 1960 and 1964. Three Olympic gold titles in 1956, 1960 and 1964 in the 100m freestyle eventually brought the daughter of a Sydney docker justified success. She won a total of eight Olympic medals.




Bob Beamon
Robert "Bob" Beamon leapt to world prominence with a stunning long-jump gold in the 1968 Mexico Games. A virtual flight of 8.90m also broke the Olympic and world records, earning the American a deserved place in athletics history. Beamon's mark was not bettered until the 1991 Tokyo world championships when his compatriot Mike Powell jumped 8.95m.




Fanny Blankers-Koen
Fanny Blankers-Koen won four gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. She accomplished this as a mother of two, during a time when many disregarded women's athletics. Her background and performances earned her the nickname "the Flying Housewife."




Michael Johnson
At the Atlanta Games of 1996 Michael Johnson not only became the first athlete to take Olympic golds in both the 200m and 400m, but shattered the 200m world record with an eye-opening time of 19.32sec. In all, he won five gold medals across three Olympic Games.




Greg Louganis
Greg Louganis can simply be described as the total diver. At age 16, he took part in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, where he placed second in the tower event. in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Louganis won gold medals in both the springboard and tower diving events. He repeated his 1984 feat in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, although not without drama. Louganis suffered an injury, hitting his head on the diving board during the preliminary rounds while performing a reverse 2 1/2 pike; he completed the preliminaries, despite a concussion, then went on to repeat the dive during the finals, with nearly perfect scores, earning him the gold medal.




Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Jackie Joyner-Kersee is ranked among the all-time greatest athletes in the women's heptathlon as well as in the women's long jump. She won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals, in those two different events. "Sports Illustrated" magazine voted her the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th century.




Steve Redgrave
Great Britain's now legendary rower Steve Redgrave pushed his ageing body through more gruelling punishment at the Sydney Olympics as he won his fifth gold medal at consecutive Games - a feat never before achieved in endurance events. After previous victories from Los Angeles (1984) to Sydney 2000, he finally retired from the sport in 2000, and was given a knighthood for his remarkable achievements.




Kristin Otto
East Germany's Olympic swimming champion Kristin Otto is truly unique for the display of talent in three separate styles -- freestyle, backstroke and butterfly -- which brought her six gold medals during the Seoul Games of 1988.




Abebe Bikila
With his win in the marathon in the 1960 Rome Olympics, Abebe Bikila became the first black African Olympic champion. Bikila, who ran the marathon barefoot in Rome ntered Olympic history with a world best time of 2:15:16.2. Bikila also won the gold in the 1964 Games in Tokyo -- this time he ran with shoes and once again set a new world best time of 2:12:11.2.




Olga Korbut
Olga Korbut is a Belarusian, Soviet-born gymnast who won four gold medals and two silver medals at the Summer Olympics, in which she competed in 1972 and 1976 for the USSR team. At the 1972 Munich Olympics, she became the first person to do a backward somersault on the balance beam in competition. She was also the first to do a standing backward somersault on bars, and a back somersault to swingdown (Korbut Flip) on beam.