PARIS — France beat international No. 1-ranked Poland 3-0 to win the Olympic males’s volleyball gold medal on Saturday, protecting its identify from the Tokyo Video games however this time on house soil inside of a rocking South Paris Enviornment 1.
France is handiest the 3rd nation to win back-to-back golds in males’s volleyball after the previous Soviet Union and the USA.
The U.S. beat Italy in directly units on Friday to take the bronze medal.
Jean Patry led the best way for the hosts with 17 issues and Trevor Clevenot had 11 whilst Antoine Brizard chipped in with an important blocks on the internet as France claimed a fifteenth gold medal within the Paris Video games with a 25-19, 25-20, 25-23 victory.
“It is improbable. Proper from the beginning we have been driven by means of the fanatics. The group was once loopy,” Clevenot stated.
“Everybody did neatly to overcome a group like Poland. We can celebration this night. We would possibly not end early.”
Poland, again within the ultimate after 48 years, was once left to rue a overlooked alternative to assert its 2nd gold.
Poland’s largest big name, Wilfredo Leon, had 94 issues in Paris however had a quiet recreation by means of his requirements with simply 9 issues.
The groups were given off to a scorching get started, with each and every spike and block drawing large roars from a complete space.
Poland fell at the back of within the opening set with a number of carrier mistakes earlier than France wrapped it up when Patry made a very good dig to set himself up for a devastating kill.
Leon lifted Poland when he attacked with goal till Brizard denied him a 3rd directly level with the primary block of the fit, following it up with two extra to offer France the lead in the second one.
Clevenot’s suave shot variety for France was once instrumental and he scored 3 in a row, profitable a key fight on the internet earlier than sealing a 2-0 lead with a very good spike.
4 monster blocks firstly of the 3rd set the tone for France as issues spun out of keep watch over for Poland. Sensing a enormous win, the house crowd as soon as once more were given excited about a noisy and proud rendition of “L. a. Marseillaise” — the French anthem.
Poland stored 4 fit issues however handiest behind schedule the inevitable when Leon’s serve went lengthy to spark wild celebrations at the flooring and within the stands.
Leon was once disenchanted with the silver however took delight in status at the podium.
“We are satisfied, for a in point of fact very long time we did not succeed in the rostrum on the Olympics,” he stated. “So I must be pleased with the group.”
–Reuters, Particular to Box Stage Media
