PARIS — France beat world No. 1-ranked Poland 3-0 to win the Olympic males’s volleyball gold medal on Saturday, defending its title from the Tokyo Video games however this time on dwelling soil inside a rocking South Paris Enviornment 1.
France is simply the third 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 straight units on Friday to take the bronze medal.
Jean Patry led the best way for the hosts with 17 factors and Trevor Clevenot had 11 whereas Antoine Brizard chipped in with essential blocks on the web as France claimed a fifteenth gold medal within the Paris Video games with a 25-19, 25-20, 25-23 victory.
“It is unbelievable. Proper from the beginning we have been pushed by the followers. The gang was loopy,” Clevenot stated.
“Everybody did properly to beat a staff like Poland. We’ll occasion tonight. We cannot end early.”
Poland, again within the last after 48 years, was left to rue a missed alternative to assert its second gold.
Poland’s largest star, Wilfredo Leon, had 94 factors in Paris however had a quiet sport by his requirements with simply 9 factors.
The groups bought off to a scorching begin, with each spike and block drawing large roars from a full home.
Poland fell behind within the opening set with a number of service errors earlier than France wrapped it up when Patry made a superb dig to set himself up for a devastating kill.
Leon lifted Poland when he attacked with objective till Brizard denied him a 3rd straight level with the primary block of the match, following it up with two extra to present France the lead within the second.
Clevenot’s intelligent shot choice for France was instrumental and he scored three in a row, successful a key battle on the web earlier than sealing a 2-0 lead with an outstanding spike.
4 monster blocks at first of the third set the tone for France as issues spun uncontrolled for Poland. Sensing a monumental win, the house crowd as soon as once more bought concerned in a loud and proud rendition of “La Marseillaise” — the French anthem.
Poland saved 4 match factors however solely delayed the inevitable when Leon’s serve went lengthy to spark wild celebrations on the ground and within the stands.
Leon was upset with the silver however took pleasure in standing on the rostrum.
“We’re comfortable, for a extremely very long time we did not attain the rostrum on the Olympics,” he stated. “So I needs to be pleased with the staff.”
–Reuters, Particular to Subject Stage Media
