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Joel Charles Despaigne was born in July 2, 1966 and raised in Santiago de Cuba. He spent much of his childhood on the ranch where his grandparents lived, helping them grow coffee and knuckle down with the life filled with domestic animals. When he was 12, he signed up for Escuela de Iniciacion Deportiva Escolar, a school for promising young athletes, where he discovered his passion for volleyball and the sport gave him back every second of his investments with grand achievements. By the time he was 14 years old, he had shown such an aptitude for the game that school officials moved him from Santiago to Havana to be elected for the junior national team.
Fred Sturm, the coach of the USA national team, comments on Despaigne’s adolescence in an interview: “I could see then that one day he was going to be the leader of that team; very aggressive, very fiery". Along with his commanding physique, Despaigne was known for his extraordinary jumping skills with 4.03-meter attacking and 3.84-meter blocking height which are merely two of the dozens of features of him that make him special. Thanks to smashing spikes, his power over the net and fear evoking posture across the net, he was nicknamed as “the devil” (El Diablo) by his teammates and fans.
Best volleyball player of 1989
Despaigne was quickly promoted to the senior national Cuban team to help his team rise to the occasion and fight against the greatest powers of the time which were mainly Italy with Zorzi and Giani, the USA, the Soviet Union, Brazil and the Netherlands. Despaigne’s participation in the team had immediate effects. Cuba was the breakthrough team of 1989 World Cup held in Japan. Although volleyball circles were pinpointing Italy as the heavy favorites, nobody was expecting Despaigne to have such a blistering and sudden impact on the team. Resultantly, Cuba was the shocker of the 1989 World Cup with the gold medals hanging around the necks of Despaigne and his friends. Then came a well-deserved acknowledgement to his success as he was named the best volleyball player of the year by FIVB.
Cuba’s success continued with the gold medal in the 1990 Central American and Caribbean Games, which was a nice preparation for the upcoming 1990 World Championships in Brazil. This time all eyes were on Cuba, on how they would perform and whether 1989 success was a coincidence or they had the stability and consistency to repeat the feat. The semi finalists were no surprise to the volleyball audience: Italy, Brazil, Cuba and the Soviet Union. Cuba overcame the USSR in four tight sets to set up a final with the Italians where they fell short at the end bowing down in four set and going back home with the silver. When asked about Despaigne in the 1990 World Championship final, Karch Kiraly, the most complete volleyball player anyone has ever seen, recalls: "I watched Despaigne’s teammates set him eight times in a row at match point. He put every one of those balls down. Italy wound up winning 16-14, but not because of Despaigne”
Olympic Gold: A Dream in the Horizon
As the Olympic cycle leading to Barcelona 1992 was looming, Cuba was still shown in full contention for the biggest glory despite the overwhelming power of Italy. With the addition of gold medal from 1991 Pan American Games, it was about time to meet the sky blue legends once again – this time in the World League. The final had the same inscription and, sadly for Despaigne and Co., the same result. Italy managed to prevail in three close sets in the final once again establishing their dominance on a mental level as well. With no Italy in the 1991 World Cup, Cuba’s route was viewed wide open. Yet, it was the USSR led by Dimitri Fomin leaving Cuba as the runner-up once again.
1992 Barcelona Olympics were the most important dream for the Cuban team. Their goal was to win every tournament they signed up for but Olympics were the ultimate goal as for every other national teams and athletes. In an interview with Sports Illustrated in 1992 summer, Despaigne talked about his belief in the contribution of his experience to his team: "I was a very restless kid in the past. I always wanted to be doing something. I was always working on something, always moving. It’s different now. The experience of the years has calmed me down." He also hints at how he prepares differently for the Barcelona showdown: "In every training session I concentrate on power, running and hitting velocity. I must try to increase the difficulty and do it better, develop my explosiveness and speed."