View source for Regla Torres

{{short description|Cuban volleyball player}}
{{family name hatnote|Torres|Herrera|lang=Spanish}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox volleyball biography
| name           = Regla Torres
| image          = Regla torres.JPG
| caption        = Torres Herrera in 2009
| fullname       = Regla Radameris Torres Herrera
| nickname       =
| birth_date     = {{birth date and age|1975|02|12|df=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Havana, Cuba]]
| death_date     =
| death_place    =
| hometown       = Havana, Cuba
| height         = 1.91 m
| weight         = 75 kg
| spike          = 331 cm
| block          = 315 cm
| position       = Front blocker
| teamnumber     = 10
| years          =
| clubs          = Ciudad Habana
| nationalyears  = 1991–2002
| nationalteam   = {{vbw|Cuba}}
| medaltemplates-expand = yes
| medaltemplates-title  = Medal record
| medaltemplates        =
{{MedalSport | Women's [[volleyball]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{CUB}} }}
[[File:Olympic rings.svg|center|80px]]
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Barcelona]]| [[Volleyball at the 1992 Summer Olympics|Team]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Atlanta]]| [[Volleyball at the 1996 Summer Olympics|Team]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney]]| [[Volleyball at the 2000 Summer Olympics|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship|World Championship]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1994 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship|1994 Brazil]] | [[1994 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship squads|Team]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1998 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship|1998 Japan]] | [[1998 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship squads|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup|FIVB World Cup]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1991 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup|1991 Japan]]|}}
{{MedalGold| [[1995 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup|1995 Japan]]|[[1995 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup squads|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Volleyball World Grand Champions Cup|World Grand Champions Cup]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1993 FIVB Women's World Grand Champions Cup|1993 Japan]]|}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1997 FIVB Women's World Grand Champions Cup|1997 Japan]]|}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Volleyball Grand Prix|FIVB World Grand Prix]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[FIVB World Grand Prix 1993|1993 Hong Kong]] |}}
{{MedalGold| [[FIVB World Grand Prix 2000|2000 Quezon City]] |}}
{{MedalSilver| [[FIVB World Grand Prix 1994|1994 Shanghai]] |}}
{{MedalSilver| [[FIVB World Grand Prix 1996|1996 Shanghai]] |}}
{{MedalBronze| [[FIVB World Grand Prix 1995|1995 Shanghai]] |}}
{{MedalBronze| [[FIVB World Grand Prix 1998|1998 Hong Kong]] |}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Pan American Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1991 Pan American Games|1991 Havana]]|[[Volleyball at the 1991 Pan American Games|Team]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1995 Pan American Games|1995 Mar del Plata]]|[[Volleyball at the 1995 Pan American Games|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Central American and Caribbean Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1998 Central American and Caribbean Games|1998 Maracaibo]]|[[Volleyball at the 1998 Central American and Caribbean Games|Team]]}}
}}

'''Regla Torres Herrera''' (born 12 February 1975) is a Cuban former volleyball player who won three Olympic gold medals with the [[Cuba women's national volleyball team|Cuban women's national volleyball team]]. Torres began playing on the international circuit at the age of 14.<ref name="Hall" /> As a middle blocker, she was a key player in the dominance of the Cuban national team of the 1990s.<ref name="Hall" /><ref name="OnCubaNews" />

In 2001, Torres was the recipient of the "Best Player of the 20th Century" award by the [[FIVB]]<ref name="FIVB">{{cite web|url=http://www.fivb.org/EN/FIVB/BestOfTheCentury/VB_Women_Players.htm|title=Best Volleyball Player Of The 20th Century - Female
|website=[[FIVB]] |access-date=March 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011221011737/http://www.fivb.org/EN/FIVB/BestOfTheCentury/VB_Women_Players.htm |archive-date=December 21, 2001 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and was inducted into the [[International Volleyball Hall of Fame]].<ref name="Hall">{{cite web|url=http://www.volleyhall.org/torres.html|title=Regla Torres Herrera|website=International Volleyball Hall of Fame|access-date=March 11, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822013852/http://www.volleyhall.org/torres.html|archive-date=August 22, 2010}}</ref>

==Early life==

Torres was born in [[Havana, Cuba]] on 12 February 1975.<ref name="Olympedia" /> Since she was a young girl, Torres was encouraged by teachers to play sports due to her height.<ref name="OnCubaNews" /> Though her parents separated while she was in primary school, both were involved in her upbringing.<ref name="OnCubaNews" /> While Torres was more interested in the high jump than volleyball, her mother insisted that she focus on the latter.<ref name="OnCubaNews" /> In the fourth grade, Torres was sent to a sports school to develop her athletic talent.<ref name="OnCubaNews" /> At the age of 14, she was sent to the Cerro Pelado school, where she quickly developed her volleyball skills.<ref name="OnCubaNews" /> She then joined the national team in 1989.<ref name="OnCubaNews" />

==Career==
===Olympic Games===

Torres won her first Olympic gold medal in [[1992 Summer Olympics|1992]] in [[Barcelona]] at the age of 17.<ref name="Hall" /><ref name="dynasty">{{Cite web |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/the-spectacular-caribbean-girls-cubas-three-volleyball-golds-in-a-row |website=Olympics.com |title='The Spectacular Caribbean Girls': Cuba's three volleyball golds in a row |date=19 January 2021 |access-date=August 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230819053038/https://olympics.com/en/news/the-spectacular-caribbean-girls-cubas-three-volleyball-golds-in-a-row |archive-date=August 19, 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref> She helped her team to additional gold medals at the [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Olympics]] in [[Atlanta]] and the [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Olympics]] in [[Sydney]],<ref name="NYT">{{Cite newspaper |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/01/sports/sydney-2000-volleyball-cuba-cruises-to-third-straight-gold.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |title=Sydney 2000: Volleyball; Cuba Cruises to Third Straight Gold |last=Roberts |first=Selena |date=1 October 2000 |at=sec. 8 p. 13 |access-date=6 September 2024 }} {{subscription required}}</ref> achieving the extraordinary feat of winning three Olympics in a row.<ref name="Hall" /><ref name="dynasty" /> She was selected as the best spiker at the Sydney Olympics.<ref name="FIVB" />

===Pan American Games===

Torres helped the Cuban team to the gold medal at the [[1991 Pan American Games]] in Havana, at the age of 16.<ref name="Olympedia" /> She won another gold medal with the national team at the [[1995 Pan American Games]] in Mar del Plata.<ref name="Olympedia">{{Cite web |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/52200 |website=Olympedia |title=Regla Torres |access-date=September 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516125515/https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/52200 |archive-date=May 16, 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===World Cups and World Championships===

Torres helped Cuba win gold medals at the [[1991 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup|1991]] and [[1995 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup|1995 FIVB World Cup]] in Japan.<ref name="Hall" /> She also helped Cuba win the [[1994 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship|1994 FIVB World Championship]] in Brazil and the [[1998 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship|1998 FIVB World Championship]] in Japan, and was selected as the MVP in both tournaments.<ref name="GOAT">{{Cite web |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/volleyball-most-asked-questions-womens-volleyball |website=Olympics.com |title=Volleyball: The most asked questions about women's indoor volleyball |last=Gunston |first=Jo |date=September 22, 2022 |access-date=August 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221103104802/https://olympics.com/en/news/volleyball-most-asked-questions-womens-volleyball |archive-date=November 3, 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===World Grands Prix===

Torres won additional gold medals with the Cuban team at the [[1993 FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix|1993]] and [[2000 FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix|2000 FIVB World Grand Prix]] in Japan.<ref name="Hall" /><ref name="OnCubaNews">{{Cite news |url=https://oncubanews.com/deportes/la-armadura-de-regla-torres-morenas-del-caribe/ |work=Oncubanews.com |language=es |title=La armadura de Regla Torres |date=27 November 2023 |last=Coll Untoria |first=Jorge Luis |access-date=21 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231127164824/https://oncubanews.com/deportes/la-armadura-de-regla-torres-morenas-del-caribe/ |archive-date=27 November 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Awards==
* Three-time Olympic gold medal — 1992, 1996, 2000
* Two-time FIVB World Cup gold medal — 1991, 1995
* Two-time Pan American Games gold medal — 1991, 1995
* Two-time FIVB World Grand Prix gold medal — 1993, 2000
* Two-time FIVB World Championship gold medal — 1994, 1998
* Two-time FIVB World Championship MVP — 1994, 1998
* Olympic best spiker, MVP — Sydney 2000
* FIVB Best Player of the 20th Century — 2001
* International Volleyball Hall of Fame — 2001

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.volleyhall.org/regla-torres.html Regla Torres] at the [[International Volleyball Hall of Fame]]
* [http://www.fivb.org/EN/Volleyball/Competitions/WorldChampionships/Women/2002/Teams/VB_Player.asp?No=10034 Regla Torres] at [[Fédération Internationale de Volleyball|FIVB.org]] World Championships Women 2002
* [https://volleybox.net/regla-torres-p3167 Regla Torres] at Volleybox.net
* {{Olympics.com}}
* {{Olympedia}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{succession box
|before = First Award
|after = {{flagicon|CUB}} [[Lilia Izquierdo]]
|title = Best Server of <br>[[FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix|FIVB World Grand Prix]]
|years = [[1993 FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix|1993]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Cuba squad 1991 FIVB Women's World Cup}}
{{Cuba women's volleyball squad 1992 Summer Olympics}}
{{Cuba squad 1994 FIVB Women's World Championship}}
{{Cuba squad 1995 FIVB Women's World Cup}}
{{Cuba women's volleyball squad 1996 Summer Olympics}}
{{Cuba squad 1998 FIVB Women's World Championship}}
{{Cuba women's volleyball squad 2000 Summer Olympics}}
{{Volleyball Hall of Fame members}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Torres, Regla}}
[[Category:1975 births]]
[[Category:Cuban women's volleyball players]]
[[Category:Volleyball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Volleyball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Volleyball players at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic volleyball players for Cuba]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Cuba]]
[[Category:Volleyball players from Havana]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in volleyball]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Middle blockers]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists in volleyball]]
[[Category:Pan American Games volleyball players for Cuba]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for Cuba]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1991 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1995 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Central American and Caribbean Games gold medalists for Cuba]]
[[Category:Central American and Caribbean Games medalists in volleyball]]
[[Category:International Volleyball Hall of Fame inductees]]