Ihosvany Hernández Rivera (born 6 August 1972), more commonly known as Ihosvany Hernández, is a Cuban former volleyball player and three-time Olympian. Hernández played with the Cuban men's national volleyball team at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, and the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.[1][2] He was the captain of the Cuban team at the Sydney Olympics.[3] Standing at 2.06 meters (6'9") in height, he was a middle blocker.[4]
Playing for the Cuban national team, Hernández won a gold medal at the 1989 FIVB World Cup in Japan, a silver medal at the 1990 FIVB World Championship in Brazil, a silver medal at the 1991 FIVB World Cup in Japan, and a bronze medal at the 1998 FIVB World Championship in Japan.[4][2]
Hernández also helped the Cuban national team win gold medals at the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana and 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, and the bronze medal at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata.[2]
In 2001, Hernández was one of six players on the Cuban men's national volleyball team to leave a hotel they stayed at in Flanders for a tournament, and from there rode a train to Italy for political asylum.[5] The other players were Leonel Marshall, Jorge Luis Hernández, Ángel Dennis, Yasser Romero, and Ramón Gato.[5] Once they were granted asylum in Italy, this group was referred to as "the defectors".[5]
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