Bob Ctvrtlik
Personal information
Full nameRobert Jan Ctvrtlik
NationalityAmerican
BornJuly 8, 1963 (1963-07-08) (age 60)
Long Beach, California, U.S.
Height6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
College / UniversityPepperdine University
Volleyball information
PositionOutside hitter
Number4
National team
1985-1996 United States
Medal record
Men's volleyball
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place1988 SeoulIndoor
Bronze medal – third place1992 BarcelonaIndoor
World Championship
Gold medal – first place 1986 FranceIndoor
Bronze medal – third place 1994 GreeceIndoor
FIVB World Cup
Gold medal – first place1985 Japan
Bronze medal – third place 1991 Japan
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1987 Indianapolis Indoor
Silver medal – second place 1995 Mar del Plata Indoor
Goodwill Games
Silver medal – second place 1986 Moscow

Robert Jan "Bob" Ctvrtlik (/stəˈvɜːrtlɪk/;[1] born July 8, 1963) is a retired American volleyball player who is a three-time Olympian, Olympic gold medalist, and a former member of the International Olympic Committee. He is a 1985 graduate of Pepperdine University.[2][3]

In 2007, Ctvrtlik was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame.[4]

Early life

Bob Ctvrtlik was born in Long Beach, California to Margaret and Josef Ctvrtlik.[5] He attended Long Beach Wilson High School in Long Beach.[6]

Playing career

College

In 1982, Ctvrtlik became a member of the Long Beach City College Vikings volleyball team.[6] He won the state championship and was selected as the MVP of the championship tournament.[6]

In 1983, Ctvrtlik played for Long Beach State and was an All-American.[2] He then transferred to Pepperdine to play his final collegiate year under the leadership and guidance of coaching legend Marv Dunphy, winning the 1985 NCAA title and being selected as the MVP of the tournament.[6][7]

In 2009, Ctvrtlik was inducted into the Pepperdine Hall of Fame.[8]

National team

After a successful college volleyball career, Ctvrtlik joined the United States national team. In the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Ctvrtlik earned a gold medal by helping to defeat the Soviet Union in the finals.[2] In the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, he became one of the national players who shaved their heads in protest of alleged officiating misconduct.[2][9] The United States defeated Cuba in the consolation match to take home the bronze medal.[10]

After the Barcelona games, Ctvrtlik went to Europe to play in the Italian Club League for Brescia along with fellow Olympian Scott Fortune.[2] He returned to the national team in preparation for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Ctvrtlik was selected as the Best Player in the World by the International Volleyball Federation in 1995, but the national team would fail to win a medal in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.[8][11] He was regarded as one of the best serve receivers in the world.[8]

Beach volleyball

Ctvrtlik was a beach volleyball player on the professional four-man circuit.[8] He attained the "AAA" beach rating while playing on the two-man circuit.[8]

After volleyball

In 1996, Ctvrtlik was elected to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athlete's Commission, and then re-elected for an eight-year term at the 2000 Summer Olympics.[6] He was appointed to the IOC in 1999.[6] He was a founding board member of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and served on the IOC Reform Committee.[12][6]

Personal life

Ctvrtlik's business concerns include real estate rehabilitation projects as president of Green Street Properties, LLC in Huntington Beach, California, and import-exports, via his company, the Ciram Corporation.[12]

Ctvrtlik and his wife Cosette have three sons: Josef, Erik, and Matthew.[5] Matthew played volleyball for Harvard.[13]

Cvrtlik's father, Josef, a native of Czechoslovakia's Moravian region, was a graduate of Charles University in Prague and knew eight languages.[5] He was imprisoned for three months during the German occupation for refusing to serve as a translator.[5] Josef left his country in 1948 by taking a train from Prague to Bratislava, and then skiing to Austria with three friends.[14][15] After 18 months in West Germany and five years in New Zealand working as a wool buyer, he moved to California in 1955 and worked as a professor at California State University, Long Beach (Long Beach State) before his death in 1983 from colon cancer.[5][14]

References

  1. ↑ "Olympics 101 - U.S. News & World Report". Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2006.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Bob Ctvrtlik". Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  3. ↑ Anderson, Bruce (May 13, 1985). "The Waves rolled in". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on July 25, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Bob Ctvrtlik". International Volleyball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Virgen, Steve (October 13, 2007). "Like Father, Like Son". Daily Pilot. Retrieved July 30, 2023. (subscription required)
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Bob Ctvrtlik, 2017". Southern California Indoor Volleyball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Volleyball" (PDF). NCAA. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Bob Ctvrtlik". Pepperdinewaves.com. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  9. ↑ Bailey, Sandra (July 29, 1992). "Barcelona: Volleyball; 12 Angry (Bald) Men Set Out to Make Point". The New York Times. p. 11. Retrieved July 26, 2023. (subscription required)
  10. ↑ Preston, Mike (August 10, 1992). "U.S. Defeats Cuba; Brazil Wins Gold : Men's volleyball: Americans come back after losing first game. In championship match, the Dutch yield 14 consecutive points in third game". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 31, 2023. (subscription required)
  11. ↑ "Atlanta 1996 Volleyball Men Results". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  12. 1 2 "Bob Ctvrtlik". Olympedia. Archived from the original on May 14, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  13. ↑ Mu, Matthew (April 5, 2019). "It Runs in the Family: Matthew Ctvrtlik's Journey to the Ivy League". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  14. 1 2 Henderson, Martin (May 22, 1992). "Ctvrtlik Takes Freedom of Choice Issue Very Seriously : Family History Gives Athlete Perspective, Reason to Work". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 31, 2023. (subscription required)
  15. ↑ Wilson, Bernie (July 20, 1996). "Who Needs Vowels When You Have Ctvrtlik?". Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020.
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