Annie Martin (beach volleyball)

Annie Martin (born 7 September 1981) is a Canadian beach volleyball player. She has represented her country at the 2004 and 2012 Summer Olympics. Her current playing partner is Marie-Andrée Lessard.

University career

Martin played university volleyball for the Sherbrooke Vert et Or for five seasons from 2000 to 2005.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She won RSEQ conference championships with the Vert et Or in 2002 and 2005 and won national championships with the team in 2003 and 2005.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Career

Martin was inspired to compete in beach volleyball after seeing Mark Heese and John Child compete for Canada at the 1996 Summer Olympics.<ref name=canfund>Template:Cite news</ref> She has won five Canadian titles, in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 and in 2009.<ref name=starmartin />

Martin and her partner, Guylaine Dumont, tied for fifth in the women's beach volleyball event at the 2004 Summer Olympics, after losing to the American pair of Kerri Walsh and Misty May in the quarterfinals.<ref name=starmartin /><ref name=sportsref>Template:Cite Sports-Reference</ref>

Martin qualified once more for the Olympics at the 2012 Summer Games, teaming with Marie-Andrée Lessard,<ref name=starmartin>Template:Cite news Template:Dead link</ref> after the pair defeated Liz Maloney and Heather Bansley in a match to decide the Canadian representatives.<ref name=canadabio>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Martin and Lessard had previously won the Canadian team a place at the women's beach volleyball tournament by winning the Continental Cup Games qualifying tournament. Prior to the 2012 Games, Martin was the only active Canadian beach volleyball athlete who had competed in a previous Olympics.<ref name=canadabio /> Ahead of the tournament, the duo felt positive about the teams they had been drawn against in the preliminary group stage.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Martin and Lessard lost their first match against the British team of Zara Dampney and Shauna Mullin after winning the first set 21–14, but then lost the second 21–14 and the third by 15–13.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Canadian duo lost their second match by a similar scoreline, 2–1 in sets, against the Russian team of Ekaterina Khomyakova and Evgenia Ukolova.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Honours

In 2012, Martin was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Personal life

Annie Martin was born in Lachine, Quebec, and is married to Vincent Larivee. She was educated at the Université de Sherbrooke.<ref name=nbcbio>Template:Cite news</ref>

External links

• Template:FIVB beach player
• Template:Beach Volleyball Database
• BBC Sport - London 2012 Olympics - Annie Martin : Canada, Beach Volleyball
• Template:COC profile
• Template:Olympics.com profile
• Template:Olympedia