Gabriela "Gaby" Lourdes Pérez del Solar Cuculiza (born 10 July 1968) is a Peruvian former

volleyball player {{short description, none This is a list of lists of volleyball players, and of notable examples in fiction. Lists of notable players * List of international volleyball players * List of American beach volleyball players * List of Chinese volleyb ...

and two-time Olympian. Following her sports career, she entered politics and served as a Congresswoman of the Christian People's Party. In 2010, Pérez del Solar was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame.

Sports career

Pérez del Solar began to play volleyball at 14 years old. Her 1.94 m height helped her to become an internationally respected middle blocker. While representing Peru at just 16 years old, she finished in fourth place in the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the ...

in Los Angeles. Pérez del Solar began to show her abilities for the sport in the 1985 FIVB World Cup in Japan, and at just 17 years old was chosen as the best blocker of the tournament and finished in fifth place. She also won the gold medal in the 1985 South American Championship. She won the bronze medal in the 1986 FIVB World Championship in Czechoslovakia and silver in the

1987 Pan American Games The 1987 Pan American Games, officially known as the X Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event held in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, on August 7–23, 1987. Over 4,300 athletes from 38 countries in the Americas ...

in Indianapolis. She won the gold medal in the 1987 South American Championship in Punta del Este and 1987 Japan Cup, where she was awarded best spiker. She was a member of the team that won the silver medal in the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and officially branded as Seoul 1988 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. 159 nations were represe ...

in Seoul, and was selected as the best receiver. Pérez del Solar won the 1988 Top Four bronze medal, 1989 South American Championship gold medal in Curitiba, and finished in fifth place in the 1989 FIVB World Cup in Japan. She finished sixth in the 1990 FIVB World Championship in China and won the bronze medal in the

1991 Pan American Games The 1991 Pan American Games, officially known as the XI Pan American Games () and commonly known as Havana 1991 (), were held in Havana, Cuba from 2 to 18 August 1991. There were 4,519 athletes from 39 countries of the Pan American Sports Organi ...

in Havana, silver in the 1991 South American Championship in São Paulo, and finished fifth in the 1991 FIVB World Cup in Japan. She retired from the Peruvian national team after winning the 1993 South American Championship in

Cuzco Cusco or Cuzco (; or , ) is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Sacred Valley of the Andes mountain range and the Huatanay river. It is the capital of the eponymous province and department. The city was the capital of the Inca Empire unti ...

In Italy

After retiring in Peru, Pérez del Solar played volleyball in Italy. She was invited to become a member of the Italian national team but rejected the offer.

Political life

In 2005, the then-presidential candidate Lourdes Flores Nano invited Pérez del Solar to run for Congress and she accepted. In the general elections of 2006, she was elected with the most votes in her district and fifth highest number of votes in the nation. In April 2006, she became a member of the National Unity, in a ceremony prepared by Xavier Barrón and Lourdes Flores. In the 2011 election, she was re-elected for another five-year term on the ticket of the Alliance for the Great Change to which the Christian People's Party now belongs.

Awards

Individuals

* '' 1985 World Cup "Best Blocker"'' * '' 1986 World Championship "Best Blocker"'' * '' 1988 Olympics "Best Receiver"'' * '' 1991 World Cup "Best Blocker"'' * '' 1993 South American Championship "Best Blocker"''

Clubs

*3 Italian Cups (1990, 1991, 1993)

References

External links

*
International Volleyball Hall of Fame profile
* *
Volleybox.net profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perez Del Solar, Gabriela 1968 births Living people Volleyball players at the 1984 Summer Olympics Volleyball players at the 1988 Summer Olympics Olympic volleyball players for Peru Olympic silver medalists for Peru Volleyball players from Lima Peruvian people of Spanish descent Peruvian people of Italian descent Christian People's Party (Peru) politicians Women members of the Congress of the Republic of Peru Members of the Congress of the Republic of Peru Peruvian sportsperson-politicians Peruvian women's volleyball players Olympic medalists in volleyball Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics 21st-century Peruvian women politicians 21st-century Peruvian politicians Pan American Games silver medalists in volleyball Pan American Games bronze medalists in volleyball Pan American Games silver medalists for Peru Pan American Games volleyball players for Peru Pan American Games bronze medalists for Peru Volleyball players at the 1987 Pan American Games Volleyball players at the 1991 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1987 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1991 Pan American Games Politicians from Lima International Volleyball Hall of Fame inductees 20th-century Peruvian sportswomen