USA volleyball legend Karch Kiraly targeting fourth Olympic gold medal at Rio 2016
Only player to have won golds in volleyball and beach volleyball is now planning to lead USA women’s team to glory in Brazil
Under Kiraly, the USA women’s volleyball team won its first world championship in 2014 (FIVB)
Few people know the way to the top of the Olympic podium like Karch Kiraly. Having helped the USA win volleyball gold at the Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988 Games, he turned his attentions to beach volleyball and took home a gold medal from Atlanta 1996, on the sport’s Olympic debut. He remains the only player to have won Olympic gold medals in both disciplines and now, as head coach of the USA women’s volleyball team, he is targeting a fourth title at the Rio 2016 Games.
However, despite being considered by many as the greatest volleyball player of all time – the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) elected him as the greatest player of the 20th century – Kiraly is determined not to steal the limelight. “It’s not about me, it’s about the programme, that is more important by far,” he told rio2016.com. “The USA women’s team had not won any major international tournament until we won the world championship last year. We want to make things happen and that result made us hungrier for the upcoming tournaments. Our main goal now is to qualify to Rio 2016.”
Kiraly has competed in Rio many times, mostly on the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema or at the Maracanãzinho, the spiritual home of volleyball in Brazil. “I love Rio, it’s an amazing sports city,” he said. “I’m sure they will be fantastic Games and I’m glad South America will stage the Olympics for the first time. We competed in the World Grand Prix in São Paulo last year and the atmosphere was amazing. There were lines of people queueing hours before the matches and the fans were lovely with all the players.”
Kiraly won Olympic gold medals in 1984 and 1988 (Photo: Getty Images/Rick Stewart)
Kiraly, whose father represented Hungary at youth level, was part of the USA team that completed the famed ‘Triple Crown of Volleyball’ by winning the 1984 Olympic title, the 1985 FIVB World Cup and the 1986 FIVB World Championship. At the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games, he captained the side to a successful defence of their title and four years later he swapped the courts for the beach, returning to the form of sport he grew up playing in California. When beach volleyball was added to the Olympic programme for the Atlanta 1996 Games, Kiraly paired up with Kent Steffes to win gold.
After retiring from action, he worked in broadcasting before becoming assistant coach of the USA women’s team that won silver at London 2012. He took overall command later that year and led the team to an unprecedented world title in 2014. “I’m very pleased with the improvement the team has showed in the last two years,” he said. “We made some changes, brought new players in and our priority is to keep improving. If we continue like this, we will achieve good things in Rio 2016.”
The USA will have its first chance to qualify for the Rio 2016 Games this year with the FIVB Women’s World Cup (August-September in Japan) offering two places and the NORCECA Continental Championship (September-October in Mexico) offering one berth.
