Ai Ōtomo

Ai Ōtomo
Personal information
Full nameAi Ōtomo
NicknameYou
Born (1982-03-24) March 24, 1982 (age 42)
Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
Height184 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight68 kg (150 lb)[1]
Spike312 cm (123 in)
Block305 cm (120 in)
Volleyball information
PositionMiddle Blocker
National team
 Japan
Medal record
Women's volleyball
Representing  Japan
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2012 London Team
World Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Japan Team
World Grand Champions Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2001 Japan Team

Ai Ōtomo (大友 愛, Ōtomo Ai , born March 24, 1982) was a Japanese volleyball player. Her current name is Ai Akimoto (秋本 愛).

Career

Ōtomo competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, wearing the number #13 jersey. She took fifth place with the Japan women's national team. She played as a middle-blocker.

In 2008, Hisamitsu Springs announced that Ōtomo would return to active duty.

In 2009, Ōtomo played for JT Marvelous.

In September 2011, due to a right knee injury, Japan Volleyball Association announced that Ōtomo would not play in the World Cup.[2]

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Ōtomo was part of the Japanese team that won the bronze medal in indoor women's volleyball.

In April 2013 JT Marvelous announced Ōtomo's retirement.[3]

Personal life

In January 16, 2006, Ōtomo [who was already two months pregnant at the time] married Tatsuo Yamamoto, a professional beach volleyball player. The two divorced in March 2012.

On August 8, 2013, Ōtomo married Hiroyuki Akimoto, who is a Judoka.[4] The couple has four children; her eldest daughter (daughter of Yamamoto), Miku Akimoto, is also a professional volleyball player.[5][6]

Clubs

Awards

Individual

  • 1999 Asian Youth Championship – Best server award
  • 2000 Asian Junior Championship – Server award
  • 2001 2000–01 V.Premier League – New face award
  • 2002 51st Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Championship – Best6
  • 2005 54th Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Championship – Best6
  • 2009 58th Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Tournament – Best6
  • 2010 2009–10 V.Premier League – Best 6
  • 2010 59th Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Tournament – Best6
  • 2011 2010–11 V.Premier League – Best 6
  • 2011 60th Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Tournament – MVP, Best6
  • 2013 62nd Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Tournament – Best 6

Team

  • 2001 Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Championship – Champion, with NEC Red Rockets
  • 2002 8th V.League – Runner-Up, with NEC Red Rockets
  • 2003 9th V.League – Champion, with NEC Red Rockets
  • 2004 10th V.League – Champion, with NEC Red Rockets
  • 2008–09 V.Premier League – Runner-Up, with Hisamitsu Springs
  • 2009 58th Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Tournament – Runner-Up, with Hisamistu Springa
  • 2009–10 V.Premier League – Runner-Up, with JT Marvelous
  • 2010 59th Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Tournament – Runner-Up, with JT Marvelous
  • 2010–11 V.Premier League – Champion, with JT Marvelous
  • 2011 60th Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Tournament – Champion, with JT Marvelous

National team

Senior team

Junior team

  • 2000 World Youth Championship – Champion

References

  1. ^ "Japanese Medalists in London 2012 Olympics". joc.or.jp. Japanese Olympic Committee. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  2. ^ Japan Volleyball Association. 山本愛選手の怪我による全日本女子離脱について (in Japanese). Retrieved 2011-09-21.
  3. ^ JT Marvelous. "谷口雅美選手、大友愛選手、吉澤智恵選手、西山慶樹選手退部のお知らせ". Archived from the original on 2013-04-25. Retrieved 2013-06-27.
  4. ^ msn sankei news. "バレー大友愛さんと柔道の秋本啓之が結婚". Archived from the original on 2013-08-31. Retrieved 2013-08-30.
  5. ^ "大友愛さん娘、スーパー１年生・秋本美空が衝撃デビュー！最高到達点３００センチスパイクで共栄学園初戦突破導く／春高バレー". サンスポ (in Japanese). 2023-01-04. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  6. ^ "大友愛さん 16歳・長女のバレー日本代表選出で友人から言われた言葉「目指せ 家族全員日本代表」 - スポニチ Sponichi Annex 芸能". スポニチ Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-12-16.


Stub icon

This biographical article relating to volleyball in Japan is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.