Ai Ōtomo Explained

Ai Ōtomo
Fullname:	Ai Ōtomo
Nickname:	You
Birth Date:	March 24, 1982
Birth Place:	Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
Spike:	312 cm
Block:	305 cm
Height:	184 cm
Weight:	68 kg^[1]
Position:	Middle Blocker
Medaltemplates-Expand:	yes
Medaltemplates-Title:	Medal record

was a Japanese volleyball player. Her name before her divorce was Ai Yamamoto (山本 愛).

Career

Ōtomo competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, wearing the number #13 jersey. She took fifth place with the Japan women's national team. She played as a middle-blocker.

In 2008, Hisamitsu Springs announced that Ōtomo would return to active duty.

In 2009, Ōtomo played for JT Marvelous.

In September 2011, due to a right knee injury, Japan Volleyball Association announced that Ōtomo would not play in the World Cup.^[2]

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Ōtomo was part of the Japanese team that won the bronze medal in indoor women's volleyball.

In April 2013 JT Marvelous announced Ōtomo's retirement.^[3]

Personal life

In January 16, 2006, Ōtomo [who was two months pregnant at the time] married Tatsuo Yamamoto, a professional beach volleyball player. The two divorced in March 2012.

On August 8, 2013, Ōtomo married Hiroyuki Akimoto, who is a Judoka.^[4] The couple has four children; her eldest daughter, Miku Ōtomo, is also a professional volleyball player.^{[5] [6]}

Clubs

• SendaiIkuei High School
• NEC Red Rockets (2000–2006)
• Hisamitsu Springs (2008–2009)
• JT Marvelous (2009–2013)

Awards

Individual

• 1999 Asian Youth Championship – Best server award
• 2000 Asian Junior Championship – Server award
• 2001 2000–01 V.Premier League – New face award
• 2002 51st Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Championship – Best6
• 2005 54th Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Championship – Best6
• 2009 58th Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Tournament – Best6
• 2010 2009–10 V.Premier League – Best 6
• 2010 59th Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Tournament – Best6
• 2011 2010–11 V.Premier League – Best 6
• 2011 60th Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Tournament – MVP, Best6
• 2013 62nd Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Tournament – Best 6

Team

• 2001 Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Championship – Champion, with NEC Red Rockets
• 2002 8th V.League – Runner-Up, with NEC Red Rockets
• 2003 9th V.League – Champion, with NEC Red Rockets
• 2004 10th V.League – Champion, with NEC Red Rockets
• 2008–09 V.Premier League – Runner-Up, with Hisamitsu Springs
• 2009 58th Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Tournament – Runner-Up, with Hisamistu Springa
• 2009–10 V.Premier League – Runner-Up, with JT Marvelous
• 2010 59th Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Tournament – Runner-Up, with JT Marvelous
• 2010–11 V.Premier League – Champion, with JT Marvelous
• 2011 60th Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Tournament – Champion, with JT Marvelous

National team

Senior team

• 2002 World Championship – 13th place
• 2004 Summer Olympics – 5th place
• 2010 World Championship – Bronze medal
• 2011 Montreux Volley Masters – Champion
• 2012: Bronze Medal in the Olympic Games of London

Junior team

• 2000 World Youth Championship – Champion

External links

• • FIVB Biography

Notes and References

1. Web site: Japanese Medalists in London 2012 Olympics. joc.or.jp. Japanese Olympic Committee. 17 January 2014.
2. Web site: http://www.jva.or.jp/news/20110921.html. Japan Volleyball Association. ja:山本愛選手の怪我による全日本女子離脱について. 2011-09-21. Japanese.
3. Web site: 谷口雅美選手、大友愛選手、吉澤智恵選手、西山慶樹選手退部のお知らせ. JT Marvelous. 2013-06-27. 2013-04-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20130425085916/http://www.jti.co.jp/knowledge/marvelous/news/2012/1304_02/index.html. dead.
4. Web site: バレー大友愛さんと柔道の秋本啓之が結婚 . msn sankei news . 2013-08-30 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130831175641/http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/news/130830/mrt13083018290013-n1.htm . 2013-08-31 .
5. Web site: 2023-01-04 . 大友愛さん娘、スーパー１年生・秋本美空が衝撃デビュー！最高到達点３００センチスパイクで共栄学園初戦突破導く／春高バレー . 2023-12-16 . サンスポ . ja.
6. Web site: 大友愛さん 16歳・長女のバレー日本代表選出で友人から言われた言葉「目指せ 家族全員日本代表」 - スポニチ Sponichi Annex 芸能 . 2023-12-16 . スポニチ Sponichi Annex . ja.