Russian veteran Artamonova named to the Olympic volleyball team – Volleyball News
Veteran Russian female athlete Evgenia Estes Artamonova has been recently added to the roster of national team that will fight for Russian legacy at the upcoming 2012 London Olympic Games.
36-year old Artamonova is regarded as the most experienced volleyball player from the 90s in Russia. She returned to national team after a long break of four years. She joined back in May and participated in the European Olympic Qualifier Tournament.
Back in the day, she represented Russia in five editions of the Olympic Games. She was part of the Russian team, which settled for three Olympic silver medals in 1992, 2000, and 2004.
Russia competed at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games and finished with the silver-ware. Artamonova represented Russia in Barcelona Games and contributed to the overall success of the team. She remained a part of Russian squad that was placed fourth at the 1996 Olympics. Furthermore, she helped Russia to claim silver-medal victory at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
Russian team made another fine attempt to climb up the top slot at 2004 Athens Games, but ended up in second spot. Artamonova made a fifth consecutive appearance with Russian team at the Beijing Olympic in 2008. Following the Olympics, she took a break for four years. However, she is back in the team and is ready to rumble at the Earl Courts in London. This is going to be the sixth consecutive Olympic appearance for Artamonova, which is pretty impressive.
Speaking of her objective for the upcoming Olympics, she said: “I want to finish my career with this ultimate title. It is normal, when you work so hard that you want to reach your ultimate goal. Some people win the Olympics and they get relaxed or even quit their sport since they achieved what they wanted. My case is obviously different; I just keep trying since I have not won an Olympic gold yet.”
She also expressed the urge to play in the front row. She stated: “I also want to play in the main six, participate actively in the game and help my team to win. It is different when you sit on the bench throughout the competition.”
Tags: