Wilfredo León

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is León and the second or maternal family name is Venero.
Wilfredo León
León in 2024
Personal information
Full nameWilfredo León Venero
NicknameLeo
NationalityCuban, Polish
Born (1993-07-31) 31 July 1993 (age 31)[1]
Santiago, Cuba[1]
Height2.02 m (6 ft 8 in)[1]
Weight96 kg (212 lb)
Spike380 cm (150 in)
Block346 cm (136 in)
Volleyball information
PositionOutside hitter
Current teamLUK Lublin
Number9
Career
YearsTeams
2005–2010Capitalinos
2010–2013Orientales de Santiago
2014–2018Zenit Kazan
2015Al Rayyan
2016Al Rayyan
2018–2024Sir Safety Perugia
2024–LUK Lublin
National team
2007–2012Cuba
2019–Poland
Honours
Men's volleyball
Representing  Cuba
FIVB World Championship
Silver medal – second place 2010 Italy
FIVB World Grand Champions Cup
Silver medal – second place 2009 Japan
FIVB World League
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Sofia
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 2011 Guadalajara
NORCECA Championship
Gold medal – first place 2009 Puerto Rico
Gold medal – first place 2011 Puerto Rico
Representing  Poland
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2024 Paris Team
FIVB World Cup
Silver medal – second place 2019 Japan
FIVB Nations League
Gold medal – first place 2023 Gdańsk
Silver medal – second place 2021 Rimini
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Łódź
CEV European Championship
Gold medal – first place 2023 Italy/Bulgaria/North Macedonia/Israel
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Belgium/France/Netherlands/Slovenia
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Poland/Czechia/Estonia/Finland
Hand prints and signature at the Avenue of Volleyball Stars, Katowice

Wilfredo León Venero (born 31 July 1993) is a professional volleyball player who plays as an outside hitter for PlusLiga club Bogdanka LUK Lublin.[2] Born in Cuba, he represents Poland at international level. He was a member of his country of birth's national team from 2007 to 2012.

Considered by many as one of a kind, he led Cuba to the silver medal at the 2010 World Championship held in Italy, alongside Yoandy Leal and Robertlandy Simon. He is considered one of the leaders of the "Generation of Miracle" of Cuban volleyball by many experts.[3]

Personal life

[edit]

León was born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba on July 31, 1993. He is the son of Wilfredo León Hechavarría and Alina Venero Boza (former volleyball player). He studied at Escuela Nacional del Voleibol Cubano. León lived in Poland for a while with his Polish girlfriend.[4] On June 24, 2016, he married Małgorzata (born Gronkowska). On May 13, 2017, their daughter Natalia was born.

Career

[edit]

León started to play when he was seven. His first coach was his mother, Alina. León debuted in the Cuban national team on May 24, 2008, in Düsseldorf, aged 14 years and 10 months.[5] He won the title of Best Receiver at World League 2009. On July 31, 2009, he won a silver medal in the World U21 Championship (after losing the final against Brazil). In 2009, the Cuban national team, with Leon, won the title of NORCECA Champion (and three individual awards), and repeated this success in 2011. After losing the final against Brazil, Cuba won a silver medal at the 2010 World Championship. He was the youngest captain of the national team (he was 17). In 2012, he won the bronze medal at the World League.

In 2013, León left Cuba to play in a club outside of his homeland,[6] losing the possibility of playing for the Cuban national team.[7] He joined Russian club Zenit Kazan in 2014, where he won multiple CEV Champions League titles, national leagues, and cups. He also played part-time with Qatar club Al Rayyan in 2015 and 2016. In September 2018, León joined Italian team SIR Safety Perugia.

On July 14, 2015, León received Polish citizenship, and five years later he became fully eligible to play for the Polish national volleyball team.[8]

On 10 August 2024, he won the silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.[9]

Honours

[edit]

Club

[edit]
  • CEV Champions League
  • FIVB Club World Championship
  • Domestic
    • 2008–09 Cuban Championship, with Capitalinos
    • 2009–10 Cuban Championship, with Capitalinos
    • 2010–11 Cuban Championship, with Orientales de Santiago
    • 2014–15 Russian Cup, with Zenit Kazan
    • 2014–15 Russian Championship, with Zenit Kazan
    • 2015–16 Russian SuperCup, with Zenit Kazan
    • 2015–16 Russian Cup, with Zenit Kazan
    • 2015–16 Russian Championship, with Zenit Kazan
    • 2016–17 Russian SuperCup, with Zenit Kazan
    • 2016–17 Russian Cup, with Zenit Kazan
    • 2016–17 Russian Championship, with Zenit Kazan
    • 2017–18 Russian SuperCup, with Zenit Kazan
    • 2017–18 Russian Cup, with Zenit Kazan
    • 2017–18 Russian Championship, with Zenit Kazan
    • 2018–19 Italian Cup, with Sir Safety Perugia
    • 2019–20 Italian SuperCup, with Sir Safety Perugia
    • 2020–21 Italian SuperCup, with Sir Safety Perugia
    • 2021–22 Italian Cup, with Sir Safety Perugia
    • 2022–23 Italian SuperCup, with Sir Safety Perugia
    • 2023–24 Italian SuperCup, with Sir Safety Perugia
    • 2023–24 Italian Cup, with Sir Safety Perugia
    • 2023–24 Italian Championship, with Sir Safety Perugia

Individual awards

[edit]

State awards

[edit]

Record

[edit]
  • 138 km/h serve speed[11]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "LEON VENERO Wilfredo". Paris 2024 Olympics.
  2. ^ "Hit transferowy stał się faktem! Wilfredo Leon zagra w Lublinie!". Weszło (in Polish). 1 July 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  3. ^ Poggi, Alessandro (18 April 2020). "Wilfredo Leon exclusive! Cuba forged my character, in Poland I found love, Italy is my new challenge". Olympics.com. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  4. ^ "POL M: Leon and Diaz in Rzeszów". World of Volley. 25 February 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  5. ^ "Czternastolatek w kadrze Kuby na LŚ!" [Fourteen-year-old in Kuba's team at LŚ!] (in Polish). Wirtualna Polska Media. 6 May 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  6. ^ Futterman, Matthew (2 August 2021). "How a Cuban Émigré Became a Polish Volleyball God". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Cuba Expels Wilfredo Leon". Volleywood. 28 April 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  8. ^ "Wilfredo Leon z polskim obywatelstwem" [Wilfredo Leon with Polish citizenship] (in Polish). Wirtualna Polska Media. 15 July 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  9. ^ "Poland claim Olympic silver in men's volleyball". polskieradio.pl. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  10. ^ "Uroczystość wręczenia odznaczeń medalistom oraz trenerom Igrzysk XXXIII Olimpiady Paryż 2024". prezydent.pl (in Polish). 9 September 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  11. ^ "Wilfredo León bate récord de velocidad en el saque: 138 km / h". Cuba Si (in Spanish). 21 October 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wilfredo León Venero.
Awards
Preceded by Best Server of
FIVB World League
2009 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Best Outside Spiker of
FIVB World Cup
2019
ex aequo Japan Yūki Ishikawa 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by Best Outside Spiker
CEV European Championship
2019
ex aequo Serbia Uroš Kovačević 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
–
 Best Outside Spiker of
CEV Champions League
2014/2015
ex aequo Argentina Facundo Conte
2015/2016
ex aequo Slovenia Tine Urnaut
2016/2017
ex aequo Italy Ivan Zaytsev
2017/2018
ex aequo Italy Osmany Juantorena 		Succeeded by
Slovenia Tine Urnaut
Cuba Wilfredo León
Preceded by Most Valuable Player of
CEV Champions League
2014/2015
2015/2016 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Best Outside Spiker of
FIVB Club World Championship
2015
ex aequo Bulgaria Todor Aleksiev
2016
ex aequo Cuba Yoandry Leal
2017
ex aequo Brazil Yoandry Leal 		Succeeded by
Cuba Yoandy Leal
Cuba Wilfredo León
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