Taismary Agüero facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Taismary Agüero
Personal information
Full name	Taismary Agüero Leiva Botteghi
Nickname	Tai, Fenomeno, Extraterrestre
Nationality	Italian
Born	(1977-03-05) 5 March 1977 (age 48) Yaguajay, Cuba
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	69 kg (152 lb)
Spike	322 cm (127 in)
Block	300 cm (118 in)
Volleyball information
Position	Wing spiker
Current club	Emilbronzo 2000 Montale
Number	12
National team
1993–2001  Cuba 2007–2014  Italy
Medal record Women's volleyball Representing  CUB Olympic Games Gold 1996 Atlanta Team Gold 2000 Sydney Team World Championship Gold 1998 Japan Team FIVB World Cup Gold 1995 Japan Team Gold 1999 Japan Team FIVB World Grand Prix Gold 2000 Quezon City Silver 1996 Shanghai Silver 1997 Kobe Bronze 1995 Shanghai Bronze 1998 Hong Kong World Grand Champions Cup Silver 1997 Japan Pan American Games Silver 1999 Winnipeg Team Central American and Caribbean Games Gold 1993 Ponce Team Representing  ITA FIVB World Cup Gold 2007 Japan FIVB World Grand Prix Bronze 2007 Ningbo Bronze 2008 Yokohama European Championship Gold 2007 Belgium/Luxembourg Gold 2009 Poland Mediterranean Games Gold 2009 Pescara Team

Taismary Agüero Leiva, born on March 5, 1977, is a famous volleyball player. She was born in Cuba but later became an Italian citizen. What makes her special is that she played for two different national teams, Cuba and Italy. She helped both teams win major championships!

For Cuba, she won:

• The World Cup in 1995
• The Olympic Games in 1996 (Atlanta)
• The World Championship in 1998
• The World Cup in 1999
• The Olympic Games in 2000 (Sydney)

For Italy, she won:

• The World Cup in 2007

In 2021, Taismary Agüero was honored by being added to the International Volleyball Hall of Fame. This is a very special award for top volleyball players.

Taismary Agüero's Volleyball Journey

Starting in Cuba

Taismary Agüero was born in a place called Yaguajay in Cuba. She started playing volleyball when she was just eight years old. Two years later, she joined a special training center in Havana to get even better.

In 1993, when she played in a junior championship, she was amazing! She was named the best player (MVP), best setter, and best server. After this great performance, she joined the Cuban national team.

Winning Gold with Cuba

Agüero and her Cuban teammates won a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. This was a huge win for them. In 1998, she helped Cuba win the World Championship in Japan. She played alongside other famous players like Mireya Luis and Regla Bell.

She won her second Olympic gold medal with Cuba at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. This showed how strong the Cuban team was with her on it. In 2001, Agüero decided to stay in Italy after a tournament in Switzerland. She then joined an Italian volleyball club called Pallavolo Sirio Perugia. She had played with this club before, in the 1998–99 and 1999–00 seasons.

Playing for Italy

In 2006, Taismary Agüero became an Italian citizen. This happened after she married Alessio Botteghi. In the summer of 2007, she joined the Italian national team.

Playing for Italy, Agüero helped them win the European Volleyball Championship in 2007. She was named the best player (MVP) of that championship. She was also chosen as the Best Spiker and Best Scorer at the 2007 FIVB World Grand Prix. Agüero continued her success with Italy, winning another gold medal at the European Volleyball Championship in 2009.

Playing for Clubs

Taismary Agüero has played for many different volleyball clubs throughout her career. She played for Sirio Perugia in Italy for several seasons. From 2005 to 2007, she played for Asystel Novara. She also played for a club in Turkey, Türk Telekom, from 2007 to 2009.

Since 2009, Agüero has played for many Italian clubs. These include Carnaghi Villa Cortese, Pomi Casalmaggiore, and Emilbronzo 2000 Montale. She has been with Emilbronzo 2000 Montale since 2018.

Agüero started her career as a setter and outside hitter for the Cuban national team. Later in her career, she often played as an opposite hitter. This shows her amazing skill and ability to play different positions.

Awards and Honors

Individual Achievements

Taismary Agüero has won many individual awards for her outstanding play:

• 1999 FIVB World Cup "Most Valuable Player" (Best Player)
• 1999 FIVB World Cup "Best Server"
• 2007 FIVB World Grand Prix "Best Spiker"
• 2007 FIVB World Grand Prix "Best Scorer"
• 2007 European Championship "Most Valuable Player" (Best Player)

See also

In Spanish: Taismary Agüero para niños