Nikolai Karpol’s wife died at the age of 85

Former Uralochka volleyball player and wife of Honored Coach of the USSR Nikolai Karpol Galina Karpol (Duvanova) has died, the press service of the All-Russian Volleyball Federation (VFV) reports.

Galina Karpol was 84 years old.

— The native of Sverdlovsk dedicated her entire playing career to her native Uralochka, and also spent her coaching career here – in the Uralochka reserve team she trained players for the main team.

And Galina Mikhailovna dedicated her life to Nikolai Karpol, becoming his muse, faithful companion and main friend. Galina Mikhailovna was a wonderful, sincere person, a devoted friend, always ready to lend a shoulder and was one of the first to rush to help.

We express our sincere deepest condolences to the family and friends of Galina Mikhailovna, Nikolai Vasilyevich and Mikhail Vasilyevich Karpol in connection with the death of his beloved wife and grandmother,” the message says.

Galina Karpol played for Uralochka in 1966–1967 and 1969–1976, and worked as a coach for the team from 1976 to 1989. She helped prepare young players for the first team.

Nikolai Karpol, as a coach, twice led the USSR national team to gold medals at the Olympic Games (1980, 1988); under his leadership, the United Team (1992) and the Russian national team (2000, 2004) became silver medalists at the Olympics. Karpol also won the World Championship with the USSR national team (1990), the European Championship with the USSR national team (1979, 1989, 1991) and the Russian national team (1993, 1997, 1999, 2001). “Uralochka” under the leadership of Karpol won the European Champions Cup (now the Champions League) 8 times.