Dain Blanton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dain Blanton |
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| Full name | Dain J. Blanton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | November 28, 1971 (age 53) Laguna Beach, California, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College(s) | Pepperdine University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Dain J. Blanton (born November 28, 1971) is a famous American beach volleyball player. He won a gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. His partner for that big win was Eric Fonoimoana. Dain Blanton also played in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. He was the first American man to play beach volleyball in two Olympic Games! Today, he is the head coach for the women's beach volleyball team at the University of Southern California. He has helped them win many national championships.
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Dain Blanton's Amazing Volleyball Career
Dain Blanton is one of the few volleyball players ever to win championships at every level. He has won at college, in the Olympics, and as a professional player.
High School and College Success
In 1990, when Blanton was a senior in high school, he was named the Orange County Player of the Year. He was also the Most Valuable Player of the Pacific Coast League. He earned All-American honors at the Junior Olympics. Blanton was also a great basketball player. He led his Laguna Beach team to the CIF Finals in 1990.
Blanton went to Pepperdine University. There, he became an All-American player. He helped his team, the Waves, win an NCAA Championship in 1992. This was when he was only a sophomore.
Professional Beach Volleyball
Blanton was well-known for his very fast serve. He held a record in the AVP for 11 aces in one game. This happened in Vail, Colorado, in 1997.
After winning gold at the 2000 Olympics, Blanton and his partner Eric Fonoimoana stopped playing together. This was because of new rules that started in 2001. The new rules changed how points were scored and the size of the court. Taller players had an advantage with the new rules. So, they both looked for new partners who were tall blockers. In the 2004 Olympics, Blanton and his new partner, Jeff Nygaard, were ranked eighth. However, they did not make it past the first round of games.
Life After Playing
Today, Blanton works as a sports commentator. He talks about volleyball for different leagues like the FIVB and AVP. He has worked for major TV networks like ABC, NBC, and ESPN. He covers many sports, including basketball, baseball, and college football. Blanton also gives motivational speeches. He inspires people and serves as a role model.
Blanton was also a runner-up on the third season of the ABC reality TV show The Bachelor.
Awards and Honors
Dain Blanton has received many awards and honors throughout his career:
- 1992 NCAA National Champion (with Pepperdine University)
- 1994 NCAA All-American
- 1997 Special Achievement Award
- 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist (beach volleyball with Eric Fonoimoana)
- 2004 Olympian (beach volleyball with Jeff Nygaard)
- 2003 AVP Best Offensive Player
- 2003 AVP Team of the Year
- 2015 AVCA National Champion (women's beach volleyball, USC) as Assistant Coach
- 2016 NCAA National Champion (women's beach volleyball, USC) as Assistant Coach
- 2017 NCAA National Champion (women's beach volleyball, USC) as Assistant Coach
- 2021 NCAA National Champion (women's beach volleyball, USC) as Head Coach
- 2022 NCAA National Champion (women's beach volleyball, USC) as Head Coach
- 2023 NCAA National Champion (women's beach volleyball, USC) as Head Coach
- 2024 NCAA National Champion (women's beach volleyball, USC) as Head Coach
See also
In Spanish: Dain Blanton para niños
