Robert Jan "Bob" Ctvrtlik (;
born July 8, 1963) is a retired American volleyball player who is a three-time Olympian, Olympic gold medalist, and a former member of the International Olympic Committee. He is a 1985 graduate of Pepperdine University.
In 2007, Ctvrtlik was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame.
Early life
Bob Ctvrtlik was born in Long Beach, California to Margaret and Josef Ctvrtlik. He attended Long Beach Wilson High School in Long Beach.
In 1983, Ctvrtlik played for Long Beach State and was an All-American. winning the 1985 NCAA title and being selected as the MVP of the tournament.
In 2009, Ctvrtlik was inducted into the Pepperdine Hall of Fame. In the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, he became one of the national players who shaved their heads in protest of alleged officiating misconduct. The United States defeated Cuba in the consolation match to take home the bronze medal.
After the Barcelona games, Ctvrtlik went to Europe to play in the Italian Club League for Brescia along with fellow Olympian Scott Fortune. He was regarded as one of the best serve receivers in the world.
After volleyball
In 1996, Ctvrtlik was elected to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athlete's Commission, and then re-elected for an eight-year term at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Cvrtlik's father, Josef, a native of Czechoslovakia's Moravian region, was a graduate of Charles University in Prague and knew eight languages. After 18 months in West Germany and five years in New Zealand working as a wool buyer, he moved to California in 1955 and worked as a professor at California State University, Long Beach (Long Beach State) before his death in 1983 from colon cancer.