Leonel Marshall Jr.

{{for|the retired Cuban volleyball Olympian|Leonel Marshall Sr.}}

{{Infobox volleyball biography

| name = Leonel Marshall

| image = Leonel Marshall.jpg

| imagesize =

| fullname = Leonel Marshall Borges Jr.

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|9|25|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Havana, Cuba

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = 1.96 m

| weight = 86 kg

| spike = 383 cm

| block = 343 cm

| position = Outside hitter

| currentclub = Sieco Service Ortona

| currentnumber = 1 (national team)
7 (club volleyball)

| years = 1998–2000
2001–2002
2003–2007
2007–2008
2008–2010
2010–2014
2014–2015
2015–2016
2016–2018
2018–2019
2019–2020
2020–2021
2022–2024

| clubs = Sarplast Livorno
Nazionale Cubana
Pallavolo Piacenza
M. Roma Volley
Pallavolo Piacenza
Fenerbahçe Istanbul
Arkas Izmir
BAIC Group
LPR Piacenza
Sporting Clube de Portugal
Bursa Büyükşehir Belediyespor
Asswehly Sports Club
Sieco Service Ortona

| nationalyears = 1997–2001

| nationalteam = {{vb|CUB}}

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{CUB}}}}

| updated = 24 October 2023

}}

Leonel Marshall Borges Jr.{{family name footnote|lang=Spanish|Marshall|Borges}} (born 25 September 1979), more commonly known as Leonel Marshall, is a Cuban professional volleyball player.{{cite web |website=Sports-Reference.com |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ma/ma/leonel-marshall-2.html |title=Leonel Marshall |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806095753/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ma/leonel-marshall-2.html |archive-date=2019-08-06 |url-status=dead }} Marshall is an outside hitter, and is well known for his outstanding vertical jump.{{Cite web |url=https://olympic.ca/2017/09/06/getting-vertical-the-highest-jump-in-sport-2/ |website=Olympic.ca |title=Getting vertical: The highest jumps in sport |last=Bourque |first=Kelly |date=September 6, 2017 |access-date=August 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230817133317/https://olympic.ca/2017/09/06/getting-vertical-the-highest-jump-in-sport-2/ |archive-date=August 17, 2023 |url-status=live }} He helped the Cuban men's national volleyball team win the gold medal at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg.{{Cite web |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/94485 |title=Leonel Marshall |website=Olympedia |access-date=6 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725111906/https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/94485 |archive-date=25 July 2023 |url-status=live }} He was the youngest member of the Cuban national team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, where he finished in seventh place.{{Cite web |url=https://www.whatcuba.com/cuba-volleyball-leonel-marshall.html |title=Cuba Volleyball |website=Whatcuba.com |access-date=17 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230817134159/https://www.whatcuba.com/cuba-volleyball-leonel-marshall.html |archive-date=17 August 2023 |url-status=live }}

Club volleyball

Marshall has played for numerous European club teams such as M. Roma Volley, Pallavolo Piacenza, and Fenerbahçe. Currently he is playing for Sieco Service Ortona.{{Cite web |url=https://volleybox.net/leonel-marshall-p305/clubs |website=Volleybox.net |title=Experience |access-date=2 October 2024 }}

2001 Defection

In 2001, Marshall was one of six players on the Cuban national team to leave a hotel they stayed at in Flanders for a tournament, and from there rode a train to Italy for political asylum. The other players were Ihosvany Hernández, Jorge Luis Hernández, Ángel Dennis, Yasser Romero, and Ramón Gato. Once they were granted asylum in Italy, this group was referred to as "the defectors".{{Cite web |url=https://www.volleywood.net/volleyball-related-news/volleyball-news-north-america/cuban-defectors-a-decade-later/ |website=Volleywood.net |title=The Defectors a Decade Later |date=30 December 2011 |access-date=6 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308220145/http://www.volleywood.net/volleyball-related-news/volleyball-news-north-america/cuban-defectors-a-decade-later |archive-date=8 March 2016 |url-status=live }}

Personal life

Marshall is the son of retired Cuban volleyball player Leonel Marshall Sr., who competed in both the 1976 Summer Olympics and 1980 Summer Olympics.{{Cite web |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/52222 |website=Olympedia |title=Leonel Marshall |access-date=17 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230817133541/https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/52222 |archive-date=17 August 2023 |url-status=live }}