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Gold diggers Cuba women win third consecutive Olympic titleLatest: Thursday October 12, 2000 02:18 PM
SYDNEY, Australia (CNNSI.com) - Cuba rallied from a two-game deficit to defeat Russia 25-27, 32-34, 25-19, 25-18, 15-7 for the gold medal. It was the third-straight gold medal for Cuba in the sports, and possibly the last for Cuban Regla Torres at age 25. "I never really thought this Olympic Games was going to be so difficult," Torres said. "Never, never in my life. This has been one of those achievements I won't forget in all my life." Torres became the youngest woman to win a volleyball gold in 1992 at Barcelona. She was only 17 when the Cubans defeated Russia in the championship to start their incredible run. Cuba now has won every major international competition since the 1992 Games, building an amazing 35-3 record in world championships and Olympics. But the difference in ability and execution between the two teams Saturday was almost non-existent, and they battled back and forth in a match befitting the sport's two superpowers. "We are Cubans. We came here to do the best, and that meant fighting until the end," captain Regla Bell said.
Cuba had a 24-21 lead in the opener before letting it slip away. In the second game, Cuba led 24-23 but again failed to close. Both teams fought for and lost four more game points until Russia pulled ahead 33-32 on a kill by Elena Godina, who then closed it out by stuffing Marlenis Costa at the net. Torres, regarded as Cuba's greatest player ever, brought her team back by getting her 6-foot-3 frame into the path of the Russian players as often as possible. "We were very tense in the first two sets, because of the pressure of winning a third gold medal," she said. "Then we relaxed and changed the way we played." Torres was fearless in the middle, attacking the 6-4 Godina and Russia's other main scoring threat, 6-3 Liobov Chachkova. Cuba jumped to a 20-9 lead in the fourth game and withstood a late rally. In the deciding game, the Cubans took an 8-4 lead and kept hitting, as the young Russian team folded. "We struggled and fought as much as we could," Russian setter Elena Vasilevskaya said. "In the third, fourth and fifth sets, we were showing fatigue, and we really could not resist that kind of pressure from the Cuban team." Torres got the final kill -- a shot from the right side. "I dedicate this win to the whole country of Cuba. I hope it will be an inspiration to the women of Cuba," she said. The victory was sweet for Cuban coach Luis Calderon. He had replaced Eugenio George, the national team coach for 15 years, after George stepped down in a dispute with sports officials. Karpol, meanwhile, fumed to the very end. The Russian coach, who led the Soviet Union to gold medals in 1980 and 1988, had become the most-booed man among the crowds at the Sydney Entertainment Center with his fist-shaking tirades against his players. As the Cubans celebrated, he argued with officials over a previous call. Karpol was under intense pressure to bring home a winner after the team's fourth-place finish in Atlanta. Russia had won four golds and three silvers since volleyball became a medal sport in 1964. Besides 1996, the only time the Russians had not finished first or second came in 1984, when the nation boycotted the Los Angeles Games. Karpol was asked whether the booing affected his players. "I always say that I'm an actor and I perform in front of spectators," he said. "But whatever role I play depends on the girls, and whatever script is written." The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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