Eugenio George Lafita

Eugenio George Lafita
Personal information
Full nameRafael Eugenio George Lafita
NicknameVolleyball guru
Born29 March 1933
Baracoa, Republic of Cuba
Died1 June 2014(2014-06-01) (aged 81)
Havana, Cuba
OccupationVolleyball coach
Medal record
Head coach for  Cuba women's volleyball
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1992 Barcelona Team
Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta Team
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Team
Bronze medal – third place 2004 Athens Team
World Championship
Gold medal – first place 1978 Soviet Union
Gold medal – first place 1994 Brazil
Gold medal – first place 1998 Japan
Silver medal – second place 1986 Czechoslovakia
FIVB World Cup
Gold medal – first place 1989 Japan
Gold medal – first place 1991 Japan
Gold medal – first place 1995 Japan
Gold medal – first place 1999 Japan
Silver medal – second place 1977 Japan
Silver medal – second place 1985 Japan
FIVB World Grand Prix
Gold medal – first place 1993 Hong Kong
Gold medal – first place 2000 Manila
Silver medal – second place 1994 Shanghai
Silver medal – second place 1997 Kobe
Silver medal – second place 2008 Yokohama
Bronze medal – third place 1995 Shanghai
Bronze medal – third place 1998 Hong Kong
World Grand Champions Cup
Gold medal – first place 1993 Japan
Silver medal – second place 1997 Japan
Friendship Games
Gold medal – first place 1984 Varna
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1971 Cali Team
Gold medal – first place 1975 Mexico City Team
Gold medal – first place 1979 Caguas Team
Gold medal – first place 1983 Caracas Team
Gold medal – first place 1987 Indianapolis Team
Gold medal – first place 1991 Havana Team
Gold medal – first place 1995 Mar del Plata Team
Gold medal – first place 2007 Rio de Janeiro Team
Silver medal – second place 1999 Winnipeg Team
Silver medal – second place 2003 Santo Domingo Team

Eugenio George Lafita (29 March 1933 – 1 June 2014), also known as Eugenio George, was a Cuban volleyball coach. Nicknamed "Volleyball guru",[1] George led the Cuban women's team to gold medals at the Olympics in 1992, 1996,[2] and 2000.[3][4] In 2000, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) named him the Best Women's Volleyball Team Coach of the Twentieth Century.[5][3] In 2005, he was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame.[6]

Early life

George was born on 29 March 1933, in Baracoa, Cuba.[7] He began playing volleyball in 1947 at the Pepe Barrientos Gymnasium in the Luyano neighborhood in Havana.[8] He played on the Cuban national volleyball team for a few years, and participated in the 1955 and 1959 Pan American Games.[8]

Coaching

Cuban men's national team

George's coaching career began in 1963 with the Cuban men's junior team. He built up the foundation of the Cuban men's volleyball team that took the gold medal at the 1966 Central American and Caribbean Games in San Juan.[8]

Cuban women's national team

In 1968, George took charge of the Cuban women's national volleyball team.[8][9] Under the management of George, the Cubans clinched titles at the FIVB World Championship in the Soviet Union (1978), Brazil (1994) and Japan (1998); the FIVB World Cup in Japan (1989, 1991, 1995 and 1999); and the FIVB World Grand Prix in Quezon City (1993) and Hong Kong (2000).[8] Most notably, he led the Cuban national team to three straight gold medal wins at the Olympics from 1992 to 2000, establishing the Cuban team as the most dominant team of the 1990s.[6] Though he was removed as head coach shortly after the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, he remained involved with the team as an assistant coach up to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.[10][1]

NORCECA

George was the president of the NORCECA Technical and Coaches Commission, and was a member of the FIVB Coaches Commission.[11]

In 2009, the NORCECA Congress in Antigua, Guatemala established the "Eugenio George Lafita Trophy" to the Most Outstanding Coach of the biennial Women's Continental Championship.[11]

Personal life

For more than 40 years, George was married to Graciela González until her death in 2007.[12]

Death

George died in Havana on 1 June 2014, at the age of 81 after a fight with cancer.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b "Eugenio George Lafita, the Volleyball guru, still fighting for the gold". International Volleyball Federation. 18 August 2008. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  2. ^ Araton, Harvey (4 August 1996). "For Cuban Veteran, Just Thought of Pro Career Brings Tears". The New York Times. sec. 8 p. 3. Retrieved 2 October 2024. (subscription required)
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Cubans pay homage to Eugenio George". NORCECA. 14 March 2014. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  5. ^ "Best Volleyball Teams — Which are the Best Teams Ever?". Volleyballadvisors.com. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Eugenio George". International Volleyball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 5 June 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Eugenio George Lafita, Cuba". International Volleyball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 22 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Volleyball mourns passing of coaching legend". International Volleyball Federation. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  9. ^ "Legendary Cuban volleyball coach passes away". Amateursport.wordpress.com. 21 June 2014. Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  10. ^ Coll Untoria, Jorge Luis (24 April 2023). "Mireya Luis' great jump". Oncubanews.com. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  11. ^ a b "RIP Coach Eugenio George". Volleywood.net. 3 June 2014. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  12. ^ "Ms. Graciela González, wife of Eugenio George, passed away in Cuba". NORCECA. 2 February 2007. Archived from the original on 2 February 2007.
  13. ^ "Eugenio George, heart of the Cuban school volleyball, died". Oncubanews.com. 1 June 2014. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2014.