| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
 Sinjin Smith |
||
| Men's Volleyball | ||
Competitor for the  United States |
||
| Goodwill Games | ||
| Bronze | 1994 St. Petersburg | Beach |
Christopher St. John ("Sinjin") Smith was born on May 7, 1957 in Santa Monica, California. He goes by his middle name; "Sinjin" is the Old English pronunciation of St. John. He is a professional beach volleyball player.
A former member of the U. S. National team (1979-1982), Smith led UCLA to two National Championships (1976 and 1979) while earning All-American honors. He was the Most Valuable Player in the 1979 championships. His college jersey (#22) was retired March 4, 1992 at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion. In 1991, he was also the second volleyball player to be inducted into UCLA Sports Hall of Fame, after Ernie Suwara.
Smith played his first pro open in 1977 with beach volleyball legend Ron Von Hagen before winning his first title with Mike Normand the same season. He won one U.S. championship and two World championships with Randy Stoklos. He and Carl Henkel tied for fifth at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. He remains the oldest man to play elite volleyball and has competed in more beach volleyball events than any other player.
He has been featured in more than 20 commercials and appeared in several television series, including "Magnum PI" He also starred in Tri-Star Pictures release "Side Out!" He has authored a book ("Kings Of the Beach") and has a computer game under the same title.
Smith is currently the president of the FIVB World Beach Volleyball Council and a TV commentator for most AVP tournaments along with Karch Kiraly. He and his wife, Patty, have three boys.
References
- Sinjin Smith, biography from Volleyball World Wide.
- Profile at the Beach Volleyball Database
- Sinjin Smith, Biography from the Volleyball Hall of Fame
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Incumbent |
Men's FIVB Beach Volley World Tour Winner alongside Randy Stoklos1989 – 1992 |
Succeeded by Roberto Lopesand Franco Neto (BRA) |
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