Loiola Making Most of Reprieve

Jose Loiola is a free man in Westwood, out of political exile for a few precious days, happily trying to soak in everything he missed in 1996.

“It’s just good to be here,” Loiola said as he stretched out under a shady umbrella Thursday afternoon at the UCLA Tennis Center, where he and Anjihno Bacil had just defeated Edgar Krank and Oliver Oetke of Germany, 12-1, 12-8, in the first round in the World Championships of Beach Volleyball.

Quite possibly the best men’s beach volleyball player in the world, Loiola was banned from his sport’s premier showcase--the 1996 Olympics--basically because he played for the wrong tour and belonged to the wrong country.

A native of Brazil, Loiola became, in essence, a man without a country when he joined the U.S.-based Assn. of Volleyball Professionals tour in 1993 without the permission of the Brazilian volleyball federation.

By agreement of the Federation Internationale de Volleyball, international volleyball’s governing body, and the Brazilian federation, Loiola was placed on suspension--the ban in effect for as long as Loiola competed on a non-Brazilian professional circuit.

That carried into 1996, making Loiola, then Brazil’s top-ranked player and the No. 3 player on the AVP tour, ineligible for the Olympics.

Thus, Loiola was forced to sit idly in his adopted home of Manhattan Beach and watch the first full-medal Olympic beach volleyball competition on television.

“Barely,” Loiola said, wincing at the recollection. “I was changing channels a lot.”

With its top player a no-show, Brazil was shut out of a medal in the men’s competition.

“It was a big disappointment, especially when I know I could have won a medal for my country,” Loiola said. “I don’t know [which one]--a gold, a silver or a bronze--but I’m sure I could have won a medal.

“What I have been trying to do is move on. Hopefully, something will be worked out for 2000 in Australia.”

His case would become a negotiating point during the meetings between FIVB and AVP officials that resulted in the 1997 World Championships, as “Free Jose Loiola!” became a battle cry for players on both tours.

Nudged along by heavy lobbying by NBC, which is telecasting the World Championships, and Nike, co-sponsor of the event, the FIVB “granted amnesty” to Loiola in the words of Jon Stevenson, AVP senior vice president of tour operations.

“He’s the best player in the world--he had to be here,” Stevenson said. “And I believe the Brazilian federation was embarrassed when its teams did not do well at the Olympics.”

According to the compromise forged for this week, players from both tours could participate, but only for their respective countries.

That meant Loiola would have to split from his regular AVP partner, American Kent Steffes, and find a Brazilian teammate for the world championships.

This was a compromise Loiola could live with--although, he says wistfully, “With Kent, we would have had, I would say, a 100% chance to win.”

With Anjihno, who teamed with Loiola in 1992, “we are right now 99% looking for the win,” Loiola said with a grin.

Loiola’s inclusion was vital for this tournament, because without him, the men’s competition would have been a farce. Loiola is the current top-ranked player on the AVP tour--No. 1 in earnings ($318,442), No. 1 in tournament victories (13), No. 1 in service aces (241) and tied with Steffes for best won-lost record (100-14).

Loiola won the AVP’s most-valuable-player award and a BMW motorcycle for being named the tour’s “Ultimate Player,” given to the player amassing the most combined blocks and aces.

“I’m not going to drive it,” Loiola said. “I’m going to sell it. Too dangerous.”

Loiola has lived in the United States for 4 1/2 years and loves Manhattan Beach. “Paradise, paradise,” he calls it.

Even when compared to Rio?

“Rio is very nice, but I think Manhattan Beach is more under control,” Loiola said. “Rio is out of control, you know what I mean?”

Loiola is considering making Manhattan Beach his permanent home if Brazil attempts to keep him out of another Olympics.

“I am going to try to make the Olympics, even if I have to become a citizen here in this country,” Loiola said.

“I will do anything to play.”