SHIMIZU Kunihiro

Olympic Games

Rank	Event	Year	Location
11	Men	2008	Beijing, CHN

World Championship

Rank	Event	Year	Location
13	Men	2010	Italy

World Cup

Rank	Event	Year	Location
4	Men	2019	Japan

Asian Championships

Rank	Event	Year	Location
3	Men	2019	Islamic Republic of Iran

Kuni (panasonic.co.jp, 26 Jan 2013)

Athlete, Office Worker

Physical Education - Tokai University, Tokyo, JPN

Japanese

Panasonic Panthers [Japan] since 2008/09

Laurent Tillie [club], FRA; Yuichi Nakagaichi [national], JPN

Opposite spiker (FIVB, 23 Apr 2015)

In 2018 he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] in his right knee during a match against JT Thunders in V.League Division 1. He required multiple surgeries and was sidelined for 12 months. (4years.asahi.com, 11 Jun 2021; The Digest, 11 Jan 2021)

In 2016 he fractured his right foot. (The Digest, 11 Jan 2021)

He was not selected in the national squad for the 2013 World League because of an injury to his left hand. (nikkansports.com, 01 May 2013)

In March 2012 he underwent surgery on his right ankle. (panasonic.co.jp, 10 Apr 2012)

V.League Division 1 [JPN] (scoreboard.com, 22 Mar 2014)

He began playing volleyball in the fourth grade at primary school. "You could participate in club activities from the fifth grade of elementary school. But I really wanted to start playing volleyball, and as soon as I was in the fourth grade, I told my mother, "I want to play volleyball right now". She didn't miss a precious opportunity, and as a result of talking directly to the principal, as a special case I started playing in fourth grade." (4years.asahi.com, 08 Jun 2021; u-tokai.ac.jp, 2008)

His mother played the sport and ran a volleyball class, and his older brother also played the sport. "My mum was the ace spiker of the team and I thought it was cool. I wanted to be like my mum, and I wanted to play the volleyball that she was doing." (4years.asahi.com, 08 Jun 2021; panasonic.co.jp, 26 Jan 2013; u-tokai.ac.jp, 2008; The Digest, 11 Jan 2021)

To compete at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (4years.asahi.com, 11 Jun 2021)

Brazilian volleyball player Andre Nascimento. (fivbheroes.com, Nov 2011)

His middle school coach Yoshihiko Matsumoto. (The Digest, 11 Jan 2021)

"Small achievements make a big difference." (The Digest, 11 Jan 2021)

While representing Panasonic Panthers, in 2010, he was named Most Valuable Player [MVP] and won the Spike Award in the V.League. (The Digest, 11 Jan 2021)

He was named Best Scorer of the 2009 Grand Champions Cup in Japan. (FIVB, 23 Nov 2009)