Barcelona medal-winning spiker Yoko Zetterlund (41) has divorced for the second time, according to today’s issue of the weekly magazine “Shuukan Bunshun.” A member of the U.S. bronze-medal-winning volleyball team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Zetterlund has played a wide variety of roles in the Japanese sports industry since the mid-1990s. Her hectic work schedule is said to have led freelance announcer Kusano Hiroshi (41), son of talento Kusano Hitoshi (66), to file for divorce, ending their 4-year marriage in August. Zetterlund divorced her first husband, an American, in 1999.
Born in San Francisco, Zetterlund moved to her mother’s home country of Japan at the age of 6. She began playing volleyball while a junior high student and helped her school win the national championship. With her mother as head coach, her high school team also won a national event, and Zetterlund went on to represent Japan at the junior level. But even after continued success at the college level, fierce competition made it difficult for her to make the national team and she decided to choose American rather than Japanese citizenship. She went to the U.S., where she successfully tried out for the national team, shortly before graduating university in 1991. After graduation she joined the Fuji TV network but soon returned to the U.S. to train for the Olympics. She also participated in the 1996 Atlanta games before coming back to Japan. She led the Daiei Orange Attackers, Japan’s first pro team, to two championships. She retired in 1999.
In addition to her role as a sports commentator, she’s also a writer, public speaker and is on the national administration board for the volleyball, basketball and soccer leagues.
Second Generation Showbiz Marriage
Happier news for two offspring from established showbiz families who are planning to tie the knot. Nishina Masaki (28) is the eldest son of actor Matsukata Hiroki (68) and actress Nishina Akiko (57), while Takigawa Hanako (22) is the daughter of the late actor Achiha Shinsuke (1940-2007) and actress Takigawa Yumi (59). The younger couple’s relationship was first reported in January when they traveled to Guam, and they will hold their wedding ceremony there next January.