Joël Despaigne
Joël Despaigne Charles (born 2 July 1966, in Santiago de Cuba), more commonly known as Joël Despaigne, is a retired volleyball player from Cuba who represented his native country in two consecutive Summer Olympics: the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona (fourth place) and the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta (sixth place). He was the captain of the Cuban national volleyball team in the early 1990s. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Despaigne, known by his nickname "El Diablo", was considered among the best volleyball players in the world. He was known for his jumping ability, with a vertical jump estimated to be around 40 inches. He was a powerful spiker, with a spike speed of about 75 miles per hour. He had about 350 appearances with the Cuban national team. Despaigne led the Cuban team to the gold medal at the 1989 FIVB World Cup, and was named the best player in the world in 1990 by the International Volleyball Federation. He also helped the Cuban team win the silver medal at the 1990 FIVB World Championship. He then helped the Cuban team win the gold medal at the 1991 Pan American Games. Coaching

Despaigne lives in Italy and works as a volleyball coach. References

External links
 Joël Despaigne at Olympics.com
 
 Sports-reference.com Profile (archived)
 Spike by Joel Despaigne (YouTube)
 Sports Illustrated 1992 Article: "PUT-DOWN ARTIST"

1966 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Santiago de Cuba
Cuban men's volleyball players
Volleyball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics
Volleyball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Olympic volleyball players for Cuba
Iraklis V.C. players
Pan American Games gold medalists for Cuba
Pan American Games bronze medalists for Cuba
Pan American Games medalists in volleyball
Central American and Caribbean Games gold medalists for Cuba
Competitors at the 1990 Central American and Caribbean Games
Volleyball players at the 1991 Pan American Games
Volleyball players at the 1995 Pan American Games
Central American and Caribbean Games medalists in volleyball
Medalists at the 1991 Pan American Games
Medalists at the 1995 Pan American Games
20th-century Cuban people