Wilfredo León

Wilfredo León Venero
Personal information
Full name	Wilfredo León Venero
Nationality	Cuban Polish
Born	July 31, 1993 Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
Height	2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
Weight	85 kg (187 lb)
Spike	350 cm (140 in)
Block	346 cm (136 in)
Volleyball information
Position	Outside Spiker
Current club	Zenit Kazan
Number	9
Career
Years Teams 2005–2010 2010–2013 2014– Capitalinos Orientales de Santiago Zenit Kazan
National team
2007–2012  Cuba
Honours Representing  Cuba Men's volleyball World Championship 2010 Italy NORCECA Championships 2009 Puerto Rico 2011 Puerto Rico Pan American Games 2011 Guadalajara World Grand Champions Cup 2009 Japan World League 2012 Sofia
Last updated: 16 March 2016

Wilfredo León Venero (born 31 July 1993) is a Cuban volleyball player with Polish citizenship (since July 14, 2015), a member of Cuba men's national volleyball team in 2007–2012 and Russian club Zenit Kazan, silver medalist of the World Championship 2010, NORCECA Champion (2009, 2011), Cuban Champion (2009, 2010, 2011), Russian Champion (2015, 2016).

Personal life

He was born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. He is Wilfredo León Hechavarría and Alina Venero Boza (a former volleyball player)'s son. He studied at Escuela Nacional Del Voleibol Cubano. Now, León Venero lives in Poland with his Polish girlfriend.^[1] On July 14, 2015 he received Polish citizenship. He has shown the desire to play in the polish national team Poland men's national volleyball team.^[2]

Career

He started to play, when he was 7. His first coach was his mother Alina. Wilfredo León Venero debuted in the Cuban national team on May 24, 2008 in Düsseldorf, aged 14 years and 10 months. He won the title of Best Receiver at World League 2009.^[3] On July 31, 2009 as the youngest player of tournament, he won a silver medal in the World U21 Championship 2009 (after losing 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 World Championship 2010. He was the youngest captain of the national team (he was 17). In 2012, he won bronze medal of World League - Sofia 2012. In 2013, Yoandri Diaz and León fled Cuba to play in a club outside of their homeland.^[4] They lost the possibility of playing for the Cuba national team.^[5]

Sporting achievements

Clubs

CEV Champions League

• 2014/2015 - with Zenit Kazan
• 2015/2016 - with Zenit Kazan

FIVB Club World Championship

• 2015 - with Zenit Kazan

National championship

• 2008/2009 Cuban Championship, with Capitalinos
• 2009/2010 Cuban Championship, with Capitalinos
• 2010/2011 Cuban Championship, with Orientales de Santiago
• 2014/2015 Russian Cup 2015, with Zenit Kazan
• 2014/2015 Russian Championship, with Zenit Kazan
• 2015/2016 Russian SuperCup 2015, with Zenit Kazan
• 2015/2016 Russian Cup 2016, with Zenit Kazan
• 2015/2016 Russian Championship, with Zenit Kazan

National team

• 2009 FIVB World Grand Champions Cup
• 2009 NORCECA Championship
• 2010 FIVB World Championship
• 2011 NORCECA Championship
• 2011 Pan American Games
• 2012 FIVB World League

Individually

• 2009 FIVB World League - Best Server
• 2009 NORCECA Championship - Best Spiker
• 2009 NORCECA Championship - Most Valuable Player
• 2011 Pan American Games - Most Valuable Player
• 2011 NORCECA Championship - Best Spiker
• 2011 NORCECA Championship - Best Scorer
• 2015 CEV Champions League - Best Outside Spiker
• 2015 CEV Champions League - Most Valuable Player
• 2015 FIVB Club World Championship - Best Outside Spiker
• 2016 CEV Champions League - Best Outside Spiker
• 2016 CEV Champions League - Most Valuable Player

References

1. POL M: Leon and Diaz in Rzeszów - worldofvolley.com - 25-02-2014
2. Wilfredo Leon z polskim obywatelstwem - wp.pl - 15-07-2015
3. Czternastolatek w kadrze Kuby na LŚ! - sport.wp.pl - 06-05-2008
4. Wilfredo Leon trafi do Resovii? - sport.wp.pl - 29-04-2013
5. Cuba Expels Wilfredo Leon - volleywood.net - 28-04-2013