Kristina May

Kristina Valjas
Personal information
Full name Kristina Valjas May
Nationality Canada
Born (1987-06-02) 2 June 1987
Hometown Toronto
Height 188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 68 kg (150 lb)
Beach volleyball information
Current teammate
Years Teammate
2011-16
2017		 Jamie Broder
Taylor Pischke
National team
Canada Canada

Kristina Valjas May (born 2 June 1987 in Toronto, Canada[1]) is a Canadian beach volleyball player of Estonian descent. She qualified to compete (along with partner Jamie Broder) at the 2016 Summer Olympics.[2] They advanced to the round of 16 until they were eliminated, finishing in a tie for ninth place.[3]

Life and career

Valjas was born on 2 June 1987 to parents who both played varsity volleyball in university. Growing up, she competed in mountain biking and cross-country skiing. She's the older sister of skier Len Väljas.[3] Like her parents, she played volleyball for the University of Toronto, before transitioning to beach volleyball, where in 2010 she became part of the national team.[4] Valjas formed a double with Jamie Broder in 2011, and went on to win NORCECA continental titles in 2013 and 2015.[3]

In April 2015, Valjas and Broder won an FIVB World Tour medal, becoming the first Canadian female athletes to do so.[3]

In October 2016, she married John May, and adopted his surname.[5] In 2017, May started a new team with Taylor Pischke.[6]

References

  1. ↑ FIVB Profile
  2. ↑ Hossain, Asif (11 June 2016). "Three beach volleyball teams earn Olympic berths". www.olympic.ca. Canadian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Kristina Valjas". Official Canadian Olympic Team Website. 2016-07-19. Retrieved 2017-02-21.
  4. ↑ Toronto to Rio: Kristina Valjas hits the beach this week with hopes of an Olympic medal
  5. ↑ Bio
  6. ↑ CANADA’S TAYLOR PISCHKE OPTIMISTIC AFTER 0-3 START WITH NEW PARTNER


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