2008 Men’s Post-Season Awards Fédération Internationale de Volleyball
[email protected] Telephone +41-21 345 35 35 Harley Headlines Men’s 2008 SWATCH-FIVB World Tour Award Recipients Lausanne, Switzerland, November 20, 2008 - Led by Brazilian Harley Marques, the top men’s players on the 2008 SWATCH FIVB World Tour were announced here Wednesday based on the results of the voting by SWATCH representatives, players, coaches, referees and officials associated with the international Beach Volleyball circuit. Winner of seven gold medals this season with two different partners, Harley was recognized as the SWATCH Most Outstanding Player for 2008 season at the year’s last double gender event in China this past weekend in Sanya. The women’s post-season awards will be announced next week. The men’s SWATCH Most Outstanding Player was selected byrepresentatives from SWATCH and the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), who also selected Igor Kolodinsky as the SWATCH top server for the 2008 season as the Russian recorded a record serve of 114.0 km/h. Harley teamed with Pedro Salgado to clinch the SWATCH team-of-the-year award by capturing the 2008 point’s championship at a mid-September event in Guarujà, Brazil. After winning six gold medals in 2008 with Salgado, Harley ended the campaign capturing the season-ending event in Sanya with Benjamin Insfran. “It is always an honor to be recognized as the top player,” said the 34-year old Harley. “This honor helps in easing my failure with Pedro to qualify for the Olympics. However, we did accomplish a lot in winning six events together this season to finish as the top team on the SWATCH tour.