Home » Beach Volleyball star Jakob Spiker Gibb retires

Beach Volleyball star Jakob Spiker Gibb retires

by admin

He said enough. Jakob Spiker Gibb, 45, closes with beach volleyball. The last dance under the net by the American the other evening in Cagliari, on the second day of the Sardinia Beach Finals, the final appointment of the international calendar. For Jakenji, as this giant of 2 meters and one centimeter is nicknamed, originally from a small town in Utah where the sand is that of the desert, the time has come to stop after an incredible career made up of four Olympics and a double victory over cancer.

And if there is a better way than the others to get out of the scene, Gibb has chosen the most iconic one possible: embraced by two blue veterans of this sport, Daniele Lupo and Paolo Nicolai, also winners of the very tight match. The photo posted on the social networks of the three who huddle and leave the field with shining eyes went around the world in a few hours, becoming an icon for fans.

Jake, as his teammates and family call him, wants to get off the bandwagon that takes the spectacle of outdoor volleyball around the world. He had boarded in 2005, the year of his debut in which he won the Top Rookie award of the season, together with the Italian Matteo Varnier, another beach legend, coach of Italy and coach of Lupo and Nicolai. . Five times he would then climb to the top of the World Tour. The first Olympics in Beijing in 2008, then London, Rio and Tokyo without ever getting on the podium but at the age of 45 holding the record for the oldest beacher ever played at the Games. With him in pairs other great athletes such as Sean Rosenthal, Casey Patterson and Taylor Crabb, the 29-year-old Hawaiian current partner in the field of Jakenji.

See also  Dante Spinotti, Leopard for Lifetime Achievement at the Locarno Film Festival 2021 - Magazine

“Cancer allows me to have a new perspective on life, to learn to enjoy time with my family,” said Gibb recently who often talks about his double victory over the disease: “They removed a melanoma from my left shoulder It was a serious problem that didn’t affect me in the same way that testicular cancer did. It was devastating then. ” Ten years ago, in fact, he had discovered the disease after a doping control that had found abnormal values. He returned to the field to qualify for the 2012 Games.

The fortitude, the courage, the passion make Gibb a symbol of volleyball on the sand. He has won less than he could have, in almost twenty years of career in which he still played on par with the best couples in the world. Among these also our Lupo and Nicolai who could close their experience in tandem in Cagliari. Their silver in Rio will go down in history as the first Italian medal in beach volleyball. But you know, history is also meant to be rewritten. Even on the sand.

You may also like

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More

Privacy & Cookies Policy