The Basics Of Volleyball

Volleyball seems like a relatively simple game to play, and it is, for casual players. However, for competitive team play, there are many rules and basic techniques you need to adhere to. Here are the basics of how to play volleyball:

Volleyball Court

A regulation indoor court should be 9 by 18 meters, and the attack line should be 3 meters from the center line. Outdoor court dimensions should be 9 by 9 meters.

The Basics Of Volleyball

Equipment

The actual volleyball should be between 9 and 10 ounces. Ball pressure should generally be between 4.3 to 4.6 pounds. The net should be 32 feet by 3 feet. At the top of every net should be a 2 inch piece of canvas running along the entire length of the net. The height of the net differs for men's and women's games. For men's volleyball, the height, usually measured from the center of the court, should be 2.43 meters. For women's volleyball, the height should be 2.24 meters.

Apparel

Indoor and court volleyball players can wear either short or long sleeve shirts and shorts made from flexible fabric. Long sleeve shirts are favored for when a lot of sliding on the court for the ball may be needed. This is to protect the forearm while sliding. Padding, including knee, hip and elbow pads are important for players who will be diving, reaching and sliding to reach balls in play. Shoes should offer extra support for the ankles as well as comfort and flexibility. It's important to remove all jewelry during play, with the exception of smooth, flat rings. This lessens the chance of damage or loss of your jewelry and also helps to protect you from injury should your wrist, hand or head be hit with the ball while you are wearing bracelets, rings or earrings.

Volleyball Play Basics

- Hand positions - There are two main hand positions. The wrapped fist hand position is when you make a fist with one hand, then wrap it with the palm of your other hand. The other main hand position is called the cupped palm position, where you bring the hands together in a cup form, then you lay your thumbs across the top.

- Serving - Two basic ways to serve are the overhand and underhand methods. The overhand serve is used most often in competitive volleyball. To serve overhanded, you toss the ball above your head a few feet, step slightly forward and then hit the ball with your hand.

- Passing - Passing is usually done to set up a hit or spike for another player or just to keep the ball in play. Passing is usually done with a forearm pass.

- Setting - A setter is important in volleyball, since a setter can control the offense and decide which players they will set up to spike or hit the ball into the opponents court. Setting is done by placing your hands above your head a few inches with your thumbs underneath. You hit the ball with your fingers only, not your palm.

- Hitting - There are many ways to hit the ball while it is in play. Some types of hits include the cross court shot, the tip shot, the line shot and the spike. The spike is the most exciting play in volleyball, when a player rises up near the net to deliver a hard shot into the opponent's court.

- Blocking - Blocking is when you stay close to the net and leap up when the ball crosses the net to block the opponent's shot, usually a spike attempt.

Those are the basics of volleyball, get out there and have fun!

The Basics Of Volleyball
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Lydia Quinn writes for VolleyBallSeek.com, a portal for volleyball scores, players, teams, games and much more.

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Perimeter and Rotational Defenses For Volleyball

The previous article "Playing Defense in Youth Volleyball - What You Need to Know" outlined for a youth volleyball team the basics of defensive positioning. That article and this one assume that you are playing with six players on the court. To further expand on volleyball defense, 2 very sound and frequently used defensive strategies will now be discussed. It should be noted that each begins with the players transitioning from offense to "base defense". Base defense has three players at the net with the middle blocker directly in the middle and the 2 out side blockers on either side about 8 feet from the middle blocker. The back row players form a triangle with the middle back player as the top of the triangle, in the middle of the court, 2 or 3 feet from the back line, and the two other players, 2 to 3 feet from the side lines and 2 to 3 feet behind the attack line.

From these positions, the players observe their opponents as they execute their offense and react to the direction of the attack. In a perimeter defense, the primary goal is to dig the hard attack hits of your opponent. When the opponent's setter sets the ball to your left (as you face the net), left front and front middle move to block the attack at the net. The right front, or offside blocker, shuffles back from the net to about the attack line and 8 to 10 feet in from the right side line. This allows the offside blocker to protect against dinks and roll shots. As the front row is moving to defense against an attack from their left side, the back row is moving as well. The left back takes a step or two backwards and closer to the left side line. The middle back moves a step or two to their right and moves closer to the base line. and the right back takes 3 or 4 steps back along the right side line. At this point, the defense has protected the "perimeter" of the court; line shots are able to be dug and cross court hits are dug by the middle and right back players. The movement of players if the opponent's attack is coming from your right side is just the opposite of what has been described. Middle front and right front players move together to block, the offside (left front player) moves back off the net and toward the middle of the court. The back row has the right back defender moving back and onto the right side line. The middle back player slides to their left and remains on the back line. The left back player moves backwards and onto the left side line. The perimeter defense is very effective when playing against hard hitting opponents.

One of the areas the perimeter defense has some difficulty defending is the roll shot and dink shot over top of the blocker, or similar shots to mid-court just beyond the attack line. Younger teams are usually not strong enough to effectively spike the ball with consistency, power, and accuracy. Many teams lacking the strength and skill level will attempt to hit downballs, dinks or roll shots. A better defense that provides more coverage and protection for these types of attacks is called the "rotational" defense. As in the perimeter defense, the rotational defense starts with the players in their "base" defensive positions. When the team sees the set from the opponents, they start to move into their defensive positions. The front row players react similarly with the middle and outside players forming the block. The "offside" front row player drops off the net behind the 10 foot line and 2 or 3 feet from the side line. The back row player that is directly in front or the opponent attacking, moves up inside the ten foot line between the two blockers. The middle back defender moves toward the side line the attack is coming from, and positions themselves 3 to 5 feet from the base line. The opposite back defender positions themselves diagonally from the attacker, for reference purposes, this player is in the diagonal corner a couple of feet in from the side line and base line.

Perimeter and Rotational Defenses For Volleyball

When properly executed, you will see 6 players moving as one, almost in a dance. It's great to watch, and solid defense can really frustrate your opponents.

Perimeter and Rotational Defenses For Volleyball
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The Importance of Warming Up and Cooling Down

One of the most important factors in injury prevention is warming up and cooling down, and should not be neglected.

Warming up refers to a preparatory phase at the beginning of an exercise session. Warming up generally involves a period of low-impact exercise regimes which prepare the body for the more strenuous aspects of the sporting activity. Warming up is an important aspect of exercise in reducing the risk of injury that would possibly happen if over stretching occurred, without the person being physically warmed up and prepared for the exercise.

Cooling down refers to a short period at the end of an exercise session. The cooling down phase, again, tends to involve a short period of low-impact exercise which gradually returns the body to its 'resting state'. The cooling down phase is believed to reduce the risk of muscular soreness which may occur the day after an exercise session, and reduce the risk of fainting or collapse after such a session.

The Importance of Warming Up and Cooling Down

The Warming Up Session

An exercise session should always commence with a period of warm up. In some cases it may take the form of a series of specially designed preparatory exercise, whilst in other sessions it will simply involve performing the activity at a low density before increasing the intensity to the desired level. The warming up period is important for the following reasons:

It gets the body ready for the physcal exertion that follows. This optimises the physical condition, enabling the body to cope more easily with the activity. It also enables the athlete to get the most benefit from the session. If the warm-up session has specific movements relating to the sporting activity the muscles can be re-educated in preparation for the coming activities. It reduces the risk of injury (cold muscles do not stretch very easily) and it reduces the risk of premature fatigue which can occur if the cardiovascular system is unprepared for strenuous activity. It prepares cardiac function for increased activity and reduces the risk of stress being placed on the heart.

A typical warm-up may involve some 'loosening exercises' followed by a few minutes of low-impact aerobic activity and then a series of stretching exercises. This may last for approximately five to fifteen minutes depending upon the intensity of the session which follows. Loosening exercises at the start of the warm up may include activities such as 'stretching' and 'running on the spot'. These are gentle activities which begin to prepare the body for exercise and are especially important if the athlete has been inactive for a while.

The aerobic exercise may involve activities such as cycling on an exercise cycle. This has the effect of increasing the heart rate, diverting blood to the exercising muscles and raising the overall temperature of the muscles.

Stretching exercises provide the final phase of warm up and ensure that the muscles and tendons are prepared for the exercise. An important reason for stretching exercises is to prevent the muscles and tendons from being overstretched during the session. Such a warm up will also prepare the joints for physical activity.

The Effects of Warm Up on the Body are:

Cold muscle, tendons and connectinve tissue do not stretch very easily. Stretching without a warm-up is therefore unlikely to produce the best effects. Warming up also relaxes the body and muscle which further allows them to be stretched effectively. It is also believed that cold muscles and tendons are more prone to damage since they are more likely to tear when cold. A warm-up increases the heart rate gradually, and aerobic exercise prepares the heart and cardiovascular system, together with the muscles, gradually, for exercise. A warm-up also causes the blood to be diverted to the exercising muscles. This is achieved by getting the blood vessels that supply the muscles being used, to dilate. This extra blood is diverted from areas of the body not as important for exercising, such as the gut. Exercising, without warming up, may cause the muscles to work without an adequate oxygen supply. This forces them to use anaerobic processes to supplement their production of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). As a consequence, lactic acid accumulates and the muscles may become prematurely fatigued.

A warm-up increases the temperature of the body. This increase in temperature facilitates and speeds up many of the processes associated with exercise metabolism. It increases the rate of nerve impulse transmission, the rate of oxygen delivery to the muscles and the speed of the reactions associated with the production of ATP. Therefore, in this context, a warm up may be said to optimise the condition of the body.

Cooling Down

A cool-down involves a short period at the end of an exercise session during which the physical activity of the body is gradually reduced to almost its resting level. A cool-down therefore often involves a period of low-impact aerobic exercise which is gradually reduced, followed by a few gentle stretching exercises. This has a number of effects.

The gentle aerobic activity helps to get rid of any metabolic waste products which may have accumulated during the exercise session. The benefits of an active recovery are believed to be related to the muscles continuing to receive a more extensive supply of oxygenated blood, which will also assist with the removal of metabolic waste products.

During exercise the blood is being pumped around the body by the action of the heart. However, the blood is assisted in its return to the heart via the venous system and muscular contraction. If an athlete stops exercising suddenly, the heart continues to beat fast, sending blood around the body, but, because the exercise has ceased, the blood is no longer assisted in its return to the heart. It is suggested that this is one of the reasons why people sometimes feel faint after exercise. During a cool-down, the heart rate is gradually lowered to its resting level and the venous return continues to be assisted by the actively contracting muscles, thereby preventing this problem.

After exercising, and following the cool-down period, the athlete's heart will still need a period of time to settle back down to its full resting rate but should be within 30 beats of what it was before the exercise session started. This will, of course, be influenced by the overall physical condition of the individual. It may also be influenced by the content of the session, with more demanding sessions requiring a more extensive cool-down. The cooling down period also provides an opportunity for the inclusion of additional stretching exercises, which may be desirable especially if they were not included as part of the main session. The inclusion of stretching exercises within the cool-down period not only helps to gradually lower the activity level of the body at the end of the session, but it may also prevent stiffness the following day.

The cool-down period is also likely to take place when the body is warm, making the muscles more receptive to stretching. The most effective stretching can therefore be performed at this time.

The Importance of Warming Up and Cooling Down
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The Revival of the Olympic Games

When Richard Chandler, an archeologist, found the location of the olden Olympic Games in 1766, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who took a trip to the site, believed that this tradition should be revived. Baron Pierre visualized that an international competition for different sports could promote worldwide peace and unity among countries. Because of his vision, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was founded.

The Ancient Olympic Games

It is believed that the Olympics started on 776 B.C. in Olympia's valley found in southwest Greece. Since the event was held in Olympia, it became famously known as Olympic Games. As a symbol for the opening of the event, the altar of Zeus was lit with a flame. The extinguishing of the flame marked the end of the event.

The Revival of the Olympic Games

Based on historical Olympic records which were stored by Hippias, the first race by foot was done in Western Peloponnese of Olympia in 776 BC. The foot race was for the honor of Zeus, a Greek god. The first winner of the race called "stade" was Coroebus from Elis who was a cook by profession. "Stade" was a sprint race that covered a total distance of 210 yards. As a reward, a "kotinos", wreath made of wild olive, served as the crown and was given the special recognition and honors in the home city.

From the single sport which was "stade," the event also included other famous sports such as boxing, equestrian event, pankration, wrestling and pentathlon where the player has to jump, run, throw a javelin and discus and wrestle. Based on historical records, in 369 A.D., Varasdates had the last entry as a boxing champion. After being held every four years for the last 1100 years, the Olympic Games never happened again when Emperor Theodosius banned it because of belief that it was a pagan activity.

After 1525 years, the Olympics became alive again so that it would change the way people compete. Instead of destroying each other, the Olympic Games was believed to settle any rivalry into friendly and noble competition.

The Modern Olympic Games

In 1892, Baron Pierre de Coubertin proposed the revival of Olympics but this was rejected during an international conference for sports. In 1894, Coubertin gathered enough support from nine countries to approve the revival of Olympic Games.

The initial plan was to hold the event in Paris in 1900 but, because of the enthusiasm of Greeks, the event took places in 1896 and the location was changed to Athens of Greece.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin became the president of IOC in 1896 and had thrown huge effort to promote the unpopular Olympic Games. After several years of hard work, in 1924, a really successful Olympic Games event was celebrated in Paris. 3000 athletes from 44 nations joined.

At present, athletes from all over the world compete to get a medal from this prestigious competition. Countries choose their best athletes and invest on them to make sure that they will be the best for a sports competition on Olympic Games.

The Revival of the Olympic Games
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Please click these links if you want to know more about why were the Olympics revived or why the white house white in general.

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Fun Volleyball Drills

One challenge that every sports coach eventually must face is making practices fun. While repetitive drills are necessary for building skill and muscle memory, when players become accustomed to certain drills they are more inclined to turn their minds off and go through the motions. Instead, coaches must continually rotate drills and add fun and exciting new ones to their practice line up to keep players focused and sharp. Feel free to use one of the following fun volleyball drills at your next practice to break up the routine and challenge your players in new ways.

Bingo Volleyball

For the first of these fun volleyball drills you will need a large sheet of white paper and a black marker. Begin by brainstorming a list of some of the crucial skills and moves that your players need help with such as perfect dig, block, spike, etc. Once you've come up with at least 25 draw a bingo card on the sheet of paper, filling each of the squares with one of the skills and post it next to the court.

Fun Volleyball Drills

Now divide your team into groups of six for scrimmage. The teams play against each other as if it were a regular match with one key difference: each time they successfully execute one of the aforementioned moves, they earn that spot on the bingo card. Players must call the move before the execute it to earn the spot on the card.

The goal is to make a line of 5, at which point all members of the team must yell "Bingo". This game causes players to come up with a game plan that successfully incorporates the necessary moves to make a line of 5, which can often be radically different from their normal game plan.

Hit the Deck!

When searching for fun volleyball drills remember that the emphasis does not always have to be on hitting the ball. Volleyball requires many other skills that are often less recognized, such as the ability to drop and hit the floor without fear or hesitation. The following drill, which we call "Hit the Deck", will help your players overcome that hesitation.

Begin by having your players jog on the spot. Either at the sound of your whistle or when you yell the words "Hit the Deck", all players must drop to the floor instantly. If you'd like to up the competitive spirit of the drill, you can enforce a rule where the last player to hit the floor is out.

Building Defensive Toughness

The third of the fun volleyball drills I like to use to change up my practice routines is a simple variation on 2-on-6. For this drill, one team has 6 players and the other has only 2. To begin with, have the strongest players on your team as the outnumbered ones.

The 6-player team begins by serving the ball within two steps of a member of the 2-player team. The goal is not to try and humiliate the 2-player team; rather the goal is to have them get down and play defense. You'll really begin to notice your players develop their defensive toughness after running the fun drill at a couple of your practices.

Fun Volleyball Drills
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Larry Reid has been coaching volleyball for well over a decade. You can get instant access to his championship volleyball practice plans by visiting his website:

http://www.volleyballpracticeplans.com/

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After The Shot - Trailing Deer Part 1

Many hunters are unable to recognize the signs that a deer has been hit. Many more are unable to, or don't know how to follow a wounded deer. Worst yet still more give up to soon thinking they hit the deer but not with a killing shot, thinking the deer will recover. Far too much game is left in the field this way. It's a shame, and in my eyes it's a waste.

Once you made the shot, TRY to remain calm, be alert, listen and watch the animal. Did you hear a thump to indicate a hit? Where a deer has been hit will likely determine how it will react. Deer shot with a bow will sometimes jump or react to the hit but then immediately look around not knowing what happened and then go back to doing whatever they where doing. This happens because a Brodhead can cut cleanly enough that no pain is felt. This is not normally the case but it does happen. Gut shot deer will often jump with an arched body into the air when hit. And will sometimes run hunched up as they make their escape. Lung shot deer sometimes do this also so it's not written in stone. If its front half drops toward the ground, you probably just missed hitting the heart, hitting him somewhere else in the front portion of the body. If it jumps and charges forward, though, you probably hit its heart.

One of the first things to look for, or at is the tail. A large percentage of the time if the tail goes up and he takes off like a bullet it's probably a miss. A good indication in most cases of a good solid hit is the tail being down as the deer runs off. Mentally mark where the deer was standing when you hit him. Also in what direction he ran. Pick out a few good landmarks of booth spots. Now go to the spot where the deer was and look for the tracks he made when he ran off. Look for any signs of blood, hair, bone splinters. Now wait, don't rush it, it will only make it harder later.

After The Shot - Trailing Deer Part 1

While you wait examine any signs you find. A deer's hair can tell you a lot about where he was hit. Each part of the hide has its own distinct hair. If you find long coarse hair that's hollow, dark with black tip's, comes from along the spine.
The area of the heart has long, dark guard hairs.
The brisket area has curly, coarse hair that is stiff and dark to black.
Long coarse wavy hair comes from around the tail.
Coarse hollow hair brownish gray with light tips is from the area of the stomach.

Blood will tell you a lot about the hit. Blood from the lungs will be foamy or have tiny bubbles in it and will be pink. A flesh wound is light red about the same color as if you cut yourself shaving. Light colored blood that's greenish will have bile mixed in and indicate a gut shot. Blood from the Liver, heart or arteries will be the darkest of all and look to be the color of a dark maroon.

By combing the way the deer reacted with the blood, hair and other signs most hunters can determine where they hit the deer, if they hit it and what chance they have in recovering it.

Here are some guidelines on the different recovery methods for each type of shot.

Lungs - Wait a half-hour to an hour before going after the game. There may be no blood at first, but after the lungs fill, the deer will begin to leave a good trail. Blood should appear around 20 or 30 yards but you may not find any within the first 100 yds. The blood trail will become stronger and more apparent the closer to the animal you get. The higher up the animal was hit, the farther it will travel before collapsing. (They have been known to travel over 500 yds.)

Heart - Wait a half-hour to an hour before going after the game. The blood trail may be non-existent initially, but it should appear after 20 or 30 yards and become easier to fallow the closer to the animal you get. Usually the deer collapses and be found dead with-in a 100 yds.

Liver - Wait an hour before attempting to trail. The animal will probably run a short distance, usually no more than a quarter mile, before lying down for good. There will be a blood trail, but it won't be that strong due to the high amount of internal bleeding.

Stomach or Gut - Wait anywhere from four to ten hours before trailing. If it feels pressure from being tailed, the buck will go farther away before lying down, so lay back for most of the day, or even overnight. The blood trail will be very scarce and mixed with stomach or intestinal matter.

Back - If you hit the spine the deer should drop in its tracks. If not, wait half an hour before following the animal. Unless a main artery was severed or a kidney was hit there will be very little blood. If you did hit a artery or kidney you should find the animal within 100 yds. If you didn't and unless you made a solid hit to the loin, odds are you won't recover this deer. It will rest a few days and will most likely be good as new.

Hindquarters - Unless your bullet or arrow hit the femoral artery you will be tracking this deer a long time. I personally go after this type of wound immediately. Others tell you to wait up to 4 hours. The advantage of going immediately is that if you didn't hit the femoral artery keeping steady, moderate pressure on the buck will keep it walking instead of lying down or running. If it does and you jump it, it will run away and leave a fine mist for a blood trail you may not be able to or is almost impossible to follow. (If you hit the femoral artery you will in all likely hood find him with-in 100 yds.)

Neck - If you hit the deer here below the spine, odds are your arrow or bullet will have severed the windpipe or some major veins or arteries, most probably the jugular. If so, the blood trail will be exceptionally strong and the deer will usually drop in less than 50 to 100 yds. If your hit is above the spine, though, the wound is merely superficial, not fatal, but it will leave a misleading amount of blood behind.

Brisket - Unless the deer was facing you when shot, he will most likely live. If he was moving toward you, the path of the bullet or arrow should have passed through the lung or heart. The blood will tell you.

After The Shot - Trailing Deer Part 1
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Keith is an avid outdoors enthusiast and dedicated to providing helpful information and resources for beginners and experienced outdoorsman and woman alike.

Reprint permission if author and copyright notice are intact.

Copyright© K. J. Blakesley

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London 2012 Olympics: Edwin Vasquez Cam - The Greatest Peruvian Athlete of All Time!

Despite being known as a football-loving nation on the world stage, the republic of Peru, a Spanish-speaking country on the South American continent since the 1820s, has won the Olympian glory thanks to its international shooters, who have picked up a total of three medals in the Summer Games between 1948 and 1992. According to these results, unequivocally, the greatest Peruvian athlete is Edwin Vasquez Cam, an Olympic gold medalist.

Edwin Vasquez Cam

Edwin Vasquez Cam was born on July 28 1922, in Lima, Peru's capital city. Encouraged by his father, who was a former shooter, he competed in several shooting competitions in Lima and other Peruvian cities. Over the next years, he spent several hours with his father, Mr. Gonzalo Vasquez, his coach and best friend. By 1938, Edwin won a school championship, but that was only the beginning.

London 2012 Olympics: Edwin Vasquez Cam - The Greatest Peruvian Athlete of All Time!

When Edwin was only 18 years old, he finished first in the Gildelmeister Cup, a traditional event in Lima, defeating many veteran athletes. Since then, Edwin's ambition was to become one of top shooters on Peruvian soil. The following year, he was crowned as the "best shooter" in a major contest. By latter the mid-1940s, Edwin won a gold at the Bolivarian Games at home after winning the Continental tournaments.

With limited international experience, by 1948, Edwin Vasquez and his fellow athletes made a travel to compete in the Olympics in the United Kingdom. The South American delegation competed in seven sports: athletics, men's basketball, boxing, cycling, fencing, shooting, and weightlifting. In the British capital, on the other hand, nine shooters participated for Peru: Edwin, Cesar Injoque, Raul Valderrama, Wenceslao Salgado, Luis Mantilla, Froilan Tantalean, Enrique Mendizabal, and brothers Enrique and Guillermo Baldwin.

Peru's champ Edwin Vasquez Cam became the first non-American/European shooter to win an Olympic title when he captured a gold in the Games of the XIV Olympiad in London, UK's capital. In that day, on August 2, 1948, surprisingly Sweden's marksman Torsten Ullman was beaten by Mr. Vasquez Cam. Ullman, gold medalist at the 1936 Olympics and four-time world champ (1933, 1935, 1937, & 1947), had been the favorite to win the gold in the free pistol in the Olympic Shooting Championship, a sporting event traditionally dominated by the United States and Western Europe since its inclusion in the First Games in 1896.

Edwin won with 545 points, followed by Switzerland's Rudolph Schnyder (silver medal) and Ullman (bronze), both with 539 points. It was a day of national pride not only to Peru but also to the continent. Upon Vasquez's win, the country became one of the first five Latin American republics to win an Olympic gold medal in the 20th Century, alongside Cuba, Uruguay, Argentina, and Mexico. But within few years he was forgotten despite his status like an Olympian winner.

Peru did not win any other Olympic medal until 1984 when Edwin Vasquez's successor, Francisco -known as "Pancho"- Boza surprisingly was runner-up at the Los Angeles Olympic Games. Prior to the international Games, he had been trained by Konrad Wirnhier, an Olympic gold medalist in 1972, in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Pan American Champion

Mr. Vasquez, upon winning the global title in Britain, helped his nation's Olympic team to win a gold medal at the 1951 Pan American Games in Buenos Aires (Argentina), a world-class competition in the Western Hemisphere. In addition to these awards, he also earned many international contests.

Despite being one of the most high-profile athletes in Latin American and the Caribbean at that time, unfortunately, Mr. Vasquez and other members of the Peruvian squad, among them Julia Sanchez Deze (Pan American gold medalist in 1951), could not go to Helsinki (Finland) to participate in the Olympiad in 1952. For absurd reasons, Peru's then-dictator Manuel Odria refused to send a national delegation to Scandinavia.

An Unknown Olympic Champion

Historically, Peru's Olympic champ Edwin Vasquez is the only shooter from Latin America to have won an Olympic gold medal. In the last sixty years, the continent sent some notable shooters to the international Games, but none of them captured the Olympic glory. From 1972 to 1984, Helmut Bellingrodt -Colombia's most outstanding athlete in 1974-- won two silvers. In the meantime, Mexico's Olegario Vasquez, upon winning a gold medal in the 1975 Pan American Games and set a new world record, failed to earn the Olympic competition at the 1976 Montreal Games. By 1988, Chile's Alfonso de Iruarrizaga finished second in the Olympiad in Asia. At the 25th Olympiad in 1992, Peru's athlete Juan Giha, whose coach Bruno Sarti did not go to Spain due to a lack of resources, came in second place.

Despite being the greatest Peruvian Olympian in history of this country's sports, Edwin Vasquez Cam, unfortunately, is still a sporting figure unknown for millions of Peruvians. On March 9, 1993, unfortunately, he passed away. Ironically, his death was largely unnoticed by the national media. In a country that has not had an Olympic champ since 1948 and never world winners, he should be an important model for Peru's boys and girls, paving the way for a new generation of champions.

London 2012 Olympics: Edwin Vasquez Cam - The Greatest Peruvian Athlete of All Time!
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Alejandro Guevara Onofre: Freelance writer. Alejandro is author of a host of articles/essays about over 220 countries and dependencies (and American States as well), from ecology, history, tourism and national heroes to Olympic sports, foreign relations, and wildlife. In addition, he has published some books on women's rights, among them "History of the Women of the United States" and "Famous Americans."

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