Juantorena
Juantorena is well-known for his jump serve, physical skills and for being one of the best all-round players in the World. Asked about the origin of his first name, Osmany, Juantorena shows a tattoo on his arm explaining that “the name and the tattoo have got Arab roots.”
Osmany comes from a family well accustomed with elite sport: his uncle Alberto Juantorena won double Olympic gold (400 and 800 m) at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and since his retirement from athletics has served in many official capacities in his home country as well as internationally.
“I am very proud of carrying this family name but it is also a huge responsibility” Osmany says. “It is a challenge that I have to take on every day. As for my uncle Alberto, I can only say that he has been a role model for me in many different ways.”
Juantorena explains how he got involved in Volleyball: “I always wanted to be a successful athlete and when I was young, Volleyball was like a dream for me. I started playing when I was 12 and I immediately fell in love with Volleyball. I soon realized that this was what I wanted to do in my life” he continues.
After spending a few years in Trento, a small and charming Italian town, Osmany had to adjust to everyday’s life in Turkey’s capital city: “Life here is good even though very different from what I was used to before I came to Ankara. There are many places that I shall visit but so far I could not find the time to simply hang around and get to know what this city has to offer. Apart from this, I really enjoy Turkish food and I especially like meat dishes” he says.
Finally, one last question: what does Osmany do in his free time? “Well, I really do not have much spare time, but the little I have I normally spend it with my family.”
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