Dain Blanton
Dain Blanton ( born November 28, 1971 in Laguna Beach ( California), United States ) is a former American professional beach volleyball player, Olympic gold medalist and the first African American to have won a major event of international importance in beach volleyball.
Career
In 1994, Blanton his AVP career with various partners, it was also Ian Clark, the firm partners in 1995. With his partner in the two following years, Canyon Ceman, Dain Blanton won the 1997 tournament of Hermosa Beach, becoming the first African-American winner at a beach volleyball tournament of international importance. In the same year the Californians ever won in his second FIVB tournament at the side of Kent Steffes the bronze medal at the first official beach volleyball World Cup in Los Angeles.
From the end of Blanton joined with Eric Fonoimoana. The two won by the year 2000 three tournaments during the American tour. At the World Tour of the FIVB, the two Americans could not win a single tournament to mid-September 2000. Ironically, at the Olympic Games in Sydney, however, burst the node and after a final victory over the Brazilian Zé Marco and Ricardo won Blanton / Fonoimoana the gold medal. By the end of 2001, the two played together yet, the greatest success in the last year of their collaboration was a second place at the site of the first triumph of Blanton in Hermosa Beach.
After a rather moderate success with Carl Henkel in 2002 Dain Blanton moved again in 2003 the Beach partner. With Jeff Nygaard reach the Californian three wins and a second place in AVP competitions. This review highlighted both the AVP Team of the Year. In addition, Blanton was named best offensive player. With Nygaard he won this year also his first ( and only ) regular FIVB tournament in Rhodes, Greece. 2004 Dain Blanton was the first U.S. beach volleyball players, who participated in his second Olympics, with Jeff Nygaard as a partner. However, the two dropped out as a group last in the first round. In the same year the two Americans still managed a success at the AVP Tour in Chicago. This was also the last victory of Dain Blanton in an AVP or FIVB tournament.
In the coming years, he still frequently changed his partner, also played a few tournaments with the comrades of his greatest success Eric Fonoimoana before he ended his career in late 2008.
Private
Blanton grew up in California, Laguna Beach. On the Laguna Beach High School, he played basketball. In addition, he opted for eleven years as a volleyball to emulate his brother Kurt. Following high school Dain Blanton graduated from Pepperdine University and got his degree in Public Relations. He was a finalist on the TV show "The Bachelor". Today, the Californian works as a sports commentator and reported, among other things about the basketball team Los Angeles Lakers, the Dodgers and Angels baseball team and the competitions of the AVP and FIVB beach volleyball.