Evgenia Artamonova
Polish website blokaut.net has reported that the most experienced Russian volleyball player from the 90s is reportedly back on the National Team! Her name has been added on the roster for the upcoming European Olympic Qualifier Tournament sometime in May.
Zhenya Artamonova Estes last played at the 2008 Olympics (her 5th consecutive Olympics) in such forgettable form. We watched all the Russian matches in Beijing and was not impressed by her performance at all. Well, Russia as a team played horrible in Beijing so no wonder they ended up 5th.
Fast forward to today, she’s a completely different player! Zhenya, who plays for Uralochka-NTMK in the Russian League, is her team’s top all around player. With such great form and plus the experience that no other Russian player has at the moment, Zhenya’s presence on the Russian Team will be a BIG PLUS! She’s one of the best players in the world without an Olympic gold medal. If she’s indeed playing for the team again and Russia qualifies to play at the London Games then maybe she can end her career with gold around her neck.
She’s got 3 Olympic silver medals but just like all athletes the GOLD MEDAL is the must-have!
Artamonova has played professionally across Europe like in Turkey, Italy, Russia and Switzerland wherein she won several League Championship Crowns. She has also played a few seasons in Japan.
Here’s a detailed list of Arta’s achievements with the National Team (excluding tons of individual awards she has won):
1991 World Cup — 3rd place
1992 Olympic Games — 2nd place
1993 European Championship — 1st place
1993 FIVB World Grand Prix — 3rd place
1995 European Championship — 3rd place
1996 Olympic Games — 4th place
1996 FIVB World Grand Prix — 3rd place
1997 World Grand Champions Cup — 1st place
1997 FIVB World Grand Prix — 1st place
1997 European Championship — 1st place
1998 World Championship — 3rd place
1998 FIVB World Grand Prix — 2nd place
1999 World Cup — 2nd place
1999 European Championship — 1st place
1999 FIVB World Grand Prix — 1st place
2000 Olympic Games — 2nd place
2000 FIVB World Grand Prix — 2nd place
2001 World Grand Champions Cup — 2nd place
2001 European Championship — 1st place
2001 FIVB World Grand Prix — 3rd place
2002 World Championship — 3rd place
2002 FIVB World Grand Prix — 1st place
2003 FIVB World Grand Prix — 2nd place
2004 Olympic Games — 2nd place
2008 Olympic Games – 5th place
We have a feeling she’s going to be the ONLY volleyball player in the world who has played in the Olympics 6 IN A ROW! Follow by Brazil’s Fofao an Cuban Anna Fernandez who have played in 5 with the latter as the ONLY female player with 4 Olympic medals (3 gold and 1 bronze).
