Bob Ctvrtlik

Robert Jan "Bob" Ctvrtlik (Template:IPAc-en;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name="WaPo">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="SI">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In 2007, Ctvrtlik was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame.<ref name="HoF">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Early life

Bob Ctvrtlik was born in Long Beach, California to Margaret and Josef Ctvrtlik.<ref name="DailyPilot">Template:Cite news Template:Subscription required</ref> He attended Long Beach Wilson High School in Long Beach.<ref name="SoCalHoF" />

Playing career

College

In 1982, Ctvrtlik became a member of the Long Beach City College Vikings volleyball team.<ref name="SoCalHoF" /> He won the state championship and was selected as the MVP of the championship tournament.<ref name="SoCalHoF">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1983, Ctvrtlik played for Long Beach State and was an All-American.<ref name="WaPo" /> He then transferred to Pepperdine to play his final collegiate year under the leadership and guidance of coaching legend Marv Dunphy,<ref name="banquet">Template:Cite news Template:Subscription required</ref> winning the 1985 NCAA title and being selected as the MVP of the tournament.<ref name="SoCalHoF" /><ref name="NCAA">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2009, Ctvrtlik was inducted into the Pepperdine Hall of Fame.<ref name="Waves" />

National team

After a successful college volleyball career, Ctvrtlik joined the United States national team. He won gold medals at the 1985 FIVB World Cup in Japan and the 1986 FIVB World Championship in France.<ref name="Todor85">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Olympedia" /> In the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Ctvrtlik earned a gold medal by helping to defeat the Soviet Union in the finals.<ref name="NYT">Template:Cite news Template:Subscription required</ref> In the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, he became one of the national players who shaved their heads in protest of alleged officiating misconduct.<ref name="WaPo" /><ref name="NYT2">Template:Cite news Template:Subscription required</ref> The United States defeated Cuba in the consolation match to take home the bronze medal.<ref name="bronze">Template:Cite news Template:Subscription required</ref>

After the Barcelona games, Ctvrtlik went to Europe to play in the Italian Club League for Brescia along with fellow Olympian Scott Fortune.<ref name="WaPo" /> He returned to the national team in preparation for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, winning a bronze medal at the 1994 FIVB World Championship in Greece.<ref name="Olympedia" /> 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.<ref name="Waves" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was regarded as one of the best serve receivers in the world.<ref name="Waves" />

Beach volleyball

Ctvrtlik was a beach volleyball player on the professional four-man circuit.<ref name="Waves" /> He attained the "AAA" beach rating while playing on the two-man circuit.<ref name="Waves">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name="SoCalHoF" /> He was appointed to the IOC in 1999.<ref name="SoCalHoF" /> He was a founding board member of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and served on the IOC Reform Committee.<ref name="Olympedia">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="SoCalHoF" />

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.<ref name="Olympedia" />

Ctvrtlik and his wife Cosette have three sons: Josef (Joe), Erik, and Matthew.<ref name="DailyPilot" /> Joe played volleyball for Stanford University, Erik played at Vanderbilt University and Matthew played volleyball for Harvard.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Cvrtlik's father, Josef, a native of Czechoslovakia's Moravian region, was a graduate of Charles University in Prague and knew eight languages.<ref name="DailyPilot" /> He was imprisoned for three months during the German occupation for refusing to serve as a translator.<ref name="DailyPilot"/> Josef left his country in 1948 by taking a train from Prague to Bratislava, and then skiing to Austria with three friends.<ref name="freedom">Template:Cite news Template:Subscription required</ref><ref name=AP960720>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="DailyPilot" /><ref name="freedom" />

External links

• Bob Ctvrtlik at Olympics.com
• Volleyball Hall of Fame profile of Bob Ctvrtlik
• Washington Post profile: Bob Ctvrtlik
• Olympedia profile: Bob Ctvrtlik
• Template:Beach Volleyball Database
• Pepperdine Hall of Fame profile
• Bob Ctvrtlik wins 2010 Wilson Distinguished Service Award
• Volleybox.net profile
• Sports-reference.com profile (archived)