London OlympicS blog
Tom Hoff
August 22, 2012 - I played a lot with the Russian guys and seen a lot of
them go through what I would call the growing pains of an upcoming
champion. They’ve been close to this end goal of a gold medal and had it
within reach over the last couple Olympics, and they have come up short.
They’ve won other major tournaments but have never captured that Olympic
title so I was glad to see them band together as a team and do it,
especially in the manner as they accomplished it. To battle back from
one point away from having their Olympic dreams crushed to mounting a
glorious comeback was an absolute wonderful way to see them reach the
pinnacle.
Muserskiy impressed big time. I actually played with him back at a
Russian club team, Belgorod Lokomotiv, when he was something like 18
years old, and I was in awe more from his athletic ability and work
ethic along with his height. Seeing how he played at the most critical
of times for his country in the gold-medal match, I am certain we will
be seeing much more of Muserskiy and his MVP-like performances at world
tournaments going forward.
I think this loss will have Brazil absolutely devastated. Not only
losing two gold-medal matches but to lose it in the fashion that
occurred versus Russia will most likely raise major questions about that
team. They have a very similar competitive environment as we do here in
the United States. When you come back to the USA after the Olympic
tournament, you only get one question when you get home: “Did you win?
Where’s you’re gold medal?” I have heard it is a bit different reception
outside the USA, Silver and Bronze medals are more revered, but in the
US it’s pretty much: “where’s your gold medal, you went the Olympics,
where is it?”
I believe the Brazilian team and staff will be haunted for many years
until they can exercise the demons of losing two gold medal matches.
That is something that will have to carry with them and use for fuel for
motivation for 2016. They have a lot of questions to answer by the time
Rio comes around.
The other interesting thing is they don’t traditionally win tournaments
in Brazil. What we have heard is a superstition that was well known when
we were competing – Brazil does not have the greatest success rate
winning world major tournaments on Brazilian soil, so that will most
likely be an added internal pressure for them.
I feel very confident looking at our team’s chances in four years’ time.
We most likely we see a large exodus of older, more experienced guys who
have been on several Olympic rosters, either through retirement or
through the need to rebuild the team. My personal opinion and seeing the
games from my couch, Matt Anderson is a key component you would want to
build our USA team around going forward. What he brings to the game –
from his passing to his hitting and serving – made him integral to the
most successful periods on the court for Team USA in London. With that
being said, he had a great Olympics numbers/stats-wise but I can assure
you Matt does not go to the Olympics to put good numbers up. He is
putting in the time, energy, and commitment to the game to go to the
Olympics for his team, to win. He’s a young guy who I think sees through
all the distractions, and knows what’s really important to him – which
is to win.
As for what happens after you win a gold medal, I’m not sure about other
people, yet I started waking up soon after achieving our team’s journey
to the gold (and my journey was 20+ years) and asking myself what is my
next challenge to focus my internal drive on….And those questions in my
mind have motivated me to pursuits outside of volleyball, with work at a
predictive analytics software company called Predixion Software; and I
work with incredible people, in a similar team environment, that has
great aspirations of success.
I happen to keep our medal in a drawer right by my socks. My kids and
their friends can wear it anytime they want for dress up or whatever.
Some people think that’s a little bit weird and think I should put it in
a safe or a frame. But mine is a bit beaten up and scratched up already.
I had very strong visions when I was younger. The initial vision, the
one that started my journey, was that I was going to earn the right to
be an Olympic gold medalist and that was etched and burned in my mind
and I did everything I could over 20 years to get there. Once our team
made that a reality, my next thought as they were putting the medal on
me and my teammates was: “What should I do with this? Where should it
be?” And as I saw the ribbon, or lanyard, around my neck, I decided that
I’m going to allow so many people to be a part of this experience (the
journey to the medal), to wear it, to hold it, and to come in contact
with. Whether that’s at my house, talks, schools, volleyball clubs,
wherever. I strive to have so many people be able to interact with it
that I want to eventually wear the lanyard out. So my next journey with
the medal, to have the lanyard be shredded down, is to bring it into the
lives of as many kids as possible in order for them to begin to dream
about their own journeys of success.
I make every effort possible for kids to come in and when I show it to
them I tell them that it is attainable. If you’re willing to allow your
passion to drive you to put in a ton of hard work, enable incredible
persistence and be very methodical in your pursuit; every kid can
achieve extraordinary success. You can achieve greatness in your life,
whether that’s Olympics, whether that’s in school or whether that’s in
your professional life. Those ingredients are all part of a formula for
success and excelling in your chosen craft. There’s no special elixir or
short-cut, and kids need to know that is why it will be an incredibly
rewarding journey to own. I sat in the same schools, the same gyms as
everyone else. I am nothing special; I’m just a regular guy that was
willing to do the things necessary to be part of an Olympic Champion
team. My teammates and I gave up a tremendous portion of their lives to
dedicate it to being part of something great, along with support from
USA Volleyball, our families and friends; we happened to put all the
pieces together. We had everything come together at the right time, and
it was a very unique opportunity that we were all able to achieve
together. And it is truly special.
Tom Hoff was captain of the USA team that won gold at the
2008 Beijing Olympic Games and also helped his side clinch the 2008 FIVB
Volleyball World League title as well as silver at the 2005 FIVB
Volleyball World Grand Champions Cup. He has competed on the last three
Olympic teams and more recently he was part of the USA coaching staff at
the 2010 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in Italy. He is
currently retired from Volleyball and working for Predixion Software in
addition to enjoying his post-volleyball time with his five daughters in
Laguna Niguel, CA.Virna Dias
London, Great Britain, August 12, 2012 – I believed in the team right
from the beginning, they are the Olympic champions and they proved why
in the final against USA. It was a brilliant match and a brilliant
result. They had some problems earlier in the competition but after the
game against Russia I knew they would win the title.
Having played with many of the players, I am so happy for them. This
gold medal and the one from Beijing is the result of all the work from
the teams from the 60s, 70s and 80s. This is culmination of all the hard
work of the players which preceded them.
I know I had said the match would go five sets, but the match was
equally as exciting and I will take winning in four any day. During the
first set Brazil was nervous, but from the second set they started to
play like they, and we, know how they can. Jaqueline defended superbly
and she was outstanding on attack, she is a very complete player while
Sheilla and Fabiana also played key roles in the victory.
What does the future hold? I think it is a similar situation as Beijing.
After the victory four years ago Brazil introduced some new players,
older ones retired, so we needed to find other players to replace them
that’s why during the four years there were some problems but such is
the quality of coach Ze Roberto, he managed to get the team over the
finish line in the end. Now we have plenty of new players on the scene
back in Brazil pushing their case so expect there will be some changes
to the team but the key is the reappointment of coach Ze Roberto. He has
done superbly and I know when I played under him at Athens how he can
motivate a team and from my point of view, consistency is the best
policy.
Virna Dias is a former Brazilian national team player and
three-time Olympian. She won bronze at the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney
Games and finished fourth at the 2004 Athens Games. Virna also won the
2004 FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix and clinched silver in 1999, where
she also claimed the MVP, Best Receiver and Best Scorer awards. She was
also a FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Cup silver medallist in 2003. This
is her second Olympic Games as TV commentator for the Brazilian channel
Rede Record.Virna Dias
London, Great Britain, August 10, 2012 – Another final starring Brazil
and USA will determine on Sunday the winner of the gold medal at the
Olympics. They are two different teams, with peculiar features. Brazil
has a lot of power in their attack and their blocking technique is
awesome. The USA have a lot of technical sureness, with a spectacular
blocking and defence system. But you should never forget that the last
Olympic champions are Brazil.
They are a team which has been growing match-by-match during these
Olympic Games. It’s a tough final, too tough to say in advance who is
the best team.
Regarding Brazil, they’ve lost some matches during the pools but now
they’ve found their best way to play. Danielle Lins is accomplishing a
game with more speed, it’s clear how she can use her middle blockers in
the best way, and now she can play the final… When you lose a setter
like Fofao, and it has happened before with Fernanda Venturini, everyone
talks about it. The loss of such a great player can influence the team.
However Dani showed how much personality she has – now all the criticism
about the new setter has vanished, she’s shown how good she can play and
she became better and better in London, day-by-day, as her team did.
In Team USA, Foluke Akinradewo, Logan Tom and Destinee Hooker are the
most dangerous players, while among the Brazilians I would point out
Sheilla, Fabiana and Thaisa. It will be a very long match. You can bet
on a five setter, 42-40 for the fifth set. Of course I cheer for Brazil.
Those girls are my daughters. I’ve seen some of them when they were just
young girls. And now I will do TV commentary for their Olympic final…
Virna Dias is a former Brazilian national team player and
three-time Olympian. She won bronze at the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney
Games and finished fourth at the 2004 Athens Games. Virna also won the
2004 FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix and clinched silver in 1999, where
she also claimed the MVP, Best Receiver and Best Scorer awards. She was
also a FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Cup silver medallist in 2003. This
is her second Olympic Games as TV commentator for the Brazilian channel
Rede Record.
Daniel Castellani

London, Great Britain, August 6, 2012 - My first cue for these Olympic
Games in London are for USA men’s team, which impressed me a lot. I
admire the way they do programmes for the Olympics. They made it once… Ok,
maybe it was by chance. Twice, they were lucky maybe. But three times,
and now they’re doing it again, no way: there’s a clear plan behind that.
They are the only country which can plan so carefully the physical and
technical preparation. In four years' time we saw some of these players
growing really well and becoming real top players. A programme means that
everything’s expected. You’ll have a time to work, then you will face a
crisis; you’ll have a time to seed and days when you harvest. You will
have heavy losses and nice wins before your final goal. This is a system
that in other super-professional volleyball countries is impossible to
plan because the pressure of sponsors or media will kill you. USA
Volleyball knows how to obtain results by targeting sport events and how
many losses you’ll have to face on your way to the podium. Some
countries are trying to do the same, some others are living day by day,
getting the best from what you have: then if you win you’re good, if you
lose you’re an idiot.
Regarding a confrontation with Beijing, everyone now plays faster. At
the same time, the blocks adapt their technique to catch those balls. If
you don’t set extremely well, with maximum precision, the block will at
least touch, or eventually block, every single ball. In London the
spectators can realize how much the block can follow the fastest plays.
Being fast of course does not mean doing quick attacks with the middle
blockers: the key is for the setter to get the ball higher and set a
ball trajectory almost parallel to the court floor, over the net. These
balls simply need less second fractions to be spiked by the attackers
jumping at the net’s extremes.
The setter used to mask their hands once, faking sometimes, and
cocooning the ball. Now they ask for higher passes to get the ball over
the net and speed up their game. This is what we’re watching in Earls
Court: modern top volleyball.
Daniel Castellani, from Buenos Aires, is a former
Argentinian national team player. He played in two Olympic Games, in
Los Angeles and in Seoul where he won a bronze medal. His son Ivan is
playing here in London. Castellani is now the coach of
Finland, having guided his own country to the Olympic Games in Atlanta and
then coached Poland at the 2010 FIVB World Championship.
Maurizia Cacciatori
August 4, 2012 - As a former setter, I would like to share my opinions
about my favourite two setters so far in the Olympic tournament: USA’s
Lindsey Berg and Eleonora Lo Bianco from Italy.
Lindsay spent seven of her last eight years, with the exception of the
2008/2009 season, playing in Italy with Pesaro, then Novara and
eventually in Villa Cortese in the last three Serie A seasons. She
played really well but I remember that in a few matches she lost the
control of the game. Setters know very well that this may happen and
that the coach will then take you off the court.
In London however, she has been outstanding. In each rally I saw she
perfectly controlled her team. She is fast and precise with every ball
she plays, no matter what kind of set it is or its distance or the zone
she targets. Particularly her quick ball for the spikers in zone 4 is
incredibly fast and really impressed me. Here in Earls Court she had the
guts to find even difficult solutions to free her attackers from the
opposing block. Ok, USA have great attackers…but she’s playing like a
Swiss watch.
Lo Bianco has some problems with her back. Without knowing it from the
Italian press, I could have never guessed that. This means that she is
playing extremely well whilst hiding at the same time some physical
problems. She always thinks clearly and that what is making a real
difference for the Italian team. When things are not as expected or
turning for the worse, she stays as a steady reference for the team. She
has a strong personality to pull along the entire team.
When you see a setter showing this type of charisma, you can bet that
her team will aim for the podium. Someone may think that since Berg and
Lo Bianco are not tall players, they might not know how to block taller
opponents. Setters have good hands. They know how to place them,
controlling zone 2 of the net, and sometimes they can block even better
than their teammates. One thing is for sure, Berg and Lo Bianco are
never the weak link of their defense system.
Maurizia Cacciatori, 39-years-old, is the former captain and
setter of the Italian team. After her debut in 1991, she collected 228
national caps. Best setter of the FIVB 1998 World Championship, she won
the bronze medal at the European Championship in 1999. She’s now a
technical commentator for SKY Sport, the sat TV which is the Italian
rights holder for London 2012.
Motoko Obayashi
August 4, 2012 - Looking ahead to a very important day on Sunday and the
quarterfinals and I have to say this is my third Olympics as a
television commentator and the last two times Japan didn’t do very well,
failing to reach the semifinals. This time they are doing very well.
Since they had the chance a year ago to come to Earls Court and play
some matches against Great Britain, it possibly has helped them prepare
well.
Of course I would love for Japan to win a medal. When I played we
narrowly missed an Olympic medal three times and since then there has
been four Olympic Games and this is by the far the closest they have
looked to winning a medal.
If they play an Asian team in the quarterfinals they stand a good chance
because they have a good record against them and apparently coach Manabe
has had two dreams about playing China in the quarterfinals so we will
see. Japan has been performing well in serving, digging and reception
and they need to continue that if they are to have any chance.
Although Brazil are not on top form they still have a lot of experience
on the international stage so it would be nice not to have to play them
or Turkey. Japan’s matches against Turkey prior to the Olympics were not
good and Neslihan Darnel is a real danger weapon.
Whoever Japan plays, obviously Saori Kimura is a key player but she’s
not 100 per cent yet. The other teams are marking her closely so there’s
a lot of pressure on her. She has to focus and bring herself up to the
level we know she can play in order for Japan to seriously entertain any
thoughts of advancing.
One final note on the success of the tournament here at Earls Court.
Great Britain was not well known for volleyball so I had never come to
England before and I had no idea how popular it would and has turned out
to be. I am completely surprised to see how the public has come to
support the competition, the whole arena has been packed every day and
the tournament has been extremely well organised.
Obayashi Motoko, 45, is a Japanese
legend having played for the national women’s team from 1985 until 1996.
She participated in four World Cups (1985, 1989, 1991, 1995), two World
Championships (1990, 1994) and three Olympic Games (1988, 1992, 1996). A
devastating left arm wing spiker, the former captain, who is now a
volleyball commentator, was the first Japanese female player to play as
a professional outside of Japan when she played in Italian Serie A club
Ancona in 1995.
Tom Hoff
August 4, 2012 - I’ve seen the US guys play and I think we’ve played
some fantastic volleyball. The team has come together at a terrific time
but they were tested early on in the first match against Serbia. Serbia
is a very good volleyball team with a very rich history and normally a
difficult opponent to play against. They have great ball control but I
thought we really showed how well we’re able to handle the ball and how
much the USA block and defense can affect a game. We really aggravated
their team and our block and defense really broke their momentum.
The team is obviously stepping into an enormous challenge to try and
repeat the results from 2008, yet the bigger the challenge the more
satisfying the experience. I think they’ve had a couple of challenging
years in terms of consistency, and the ability to play at a high level
from the beginning of a tournament to the end. I believe all those
“trying” times are serving this team very well to show the world that
there is still a strong core group of Olympic champions playing in these
2012 Games.
Once it gets to single elimination it’s a case of “win or your dreams
are over” so I think the team is gaining confidence.
People always ask me ‘did you think you can win?’ I always did.
I didn’t play the game for anything else other than to go win an Olympic
gold medal. Even when we didn’t do well in my first Olympics, I always
believed we could win. As our team matured and got more experience; we
repeatedly saw what it meant to be successful on the world stage and
began to fine tune our process of building a successful team.
This is a different team than our 2008 obviously; yet the way we as
players were trained from Hugh and our staff; we strongly did not agree
with “hey you gotta turn it up now because it’s the Olympics.” We
thrived and were empowered to go into practice and compete each and
every drill and dissect each other’s weaknesses because we knew that is
what happens when we would eventually try and earn a gold medal. And
quite honestly, we developed this atmosphere or environment where we
could beat each other up like crazy and occasionally go over the edge;
and still continually build a healthy team relationship. It was an
amazing thing that our coaching staff was able to instill over those
years.
All the work that has been done in practice when fans are not watching,
when there are no cameras, when there are no reporters – that was the
time when our team created this foundation that allowed the team’s
success in 08. And many of those players from ’08 are back proving
themselves again; Stanley (who is playing like a possessed man; he is an
incredible volleyball machine right now), Priddy, Lee, Lambourne ; they
are all hungry for more. And we also have younger guys stepping up to
carry an enormous performance load like Matt Anderson, who has been
nothing short of amazing.
A lot of the guys on the team now have been to the top, they know what
it takes to win, and that is a huge confidence boost. They fully realize
that they have a lot more work to do. And as a volleyball fan, I cannot
wait to watch.
Tom Hoff was captain of the USA team that won gold at the
2008 Beijing Olympic Games and also helped his side clinch the 2008 FIVB
Volleyball World League title as well as silver at the 2005 FIVB
Volleyball World Grand Champions Cup. He has competed on the last three
Olympic teams and more recently he was part of the USA coaching staff at
the 2010 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in Italy. He is
currently retired from Volleyball and working for Predixion Software in
addition to enjoying his post-volleyball time with his five daughters in
Laguna Niguel, CA.Maurizia Cacciatori

August 2, 2012 -
Let’s start from the best, as far as I’ve seen. In the women’s
volleyball tournament, team USA is really surprising me. From a
technical point of view, in these first days of competition they showed
a different rhythm and level compared to all other teams here in London.
I was amazed by setter Lindsey Berg and how easily she manages the sets
for her attackers, with perfect schemes for front and back row. Fluency
and power are hard to be combined at the same time, but that’s what I
saw in Earls Court when they play.
From our broadcasting position, up in the second ring of the venue, I
was also surprised to follow their timeouts. The structure of USA
coaching team is really peculiar, divided by role. I’ve appreciated
watching the players of the bench grouping as well, depending on their
respective role and giving suggestions to the starting six. They perform
an outstanding teamwork.
Regarding the single stars, of course I’m in line with a lot of fans who
like Yeon-Koung Kim. Her swing is so fast and it’s so stylish that I
rather remember in the recent past a young player showing attack skills
like she has. Moreover, she has a very South-American way to celebrate
points, quite uncommon for a Korean player. You could even guess that
she played abroad just for her cheering mode.
This is my first Olympic Game seen from the backstage and I feel daily a
sort of sweet pain: because I have a sportive mind and at the same time
I need to show my rational side which I think I’m still lacking a little
bit. As TV technical commentator I have to comment the game of my former
teammates, players that I know so well, with whom I shared hotel rooms,
trainings, sets… I know what they do and why they do that: sometimes I
would take off my headset to run into the court.
I’m watching volleyball from a different perspective. Now I see the
media stands and the press rooms, I understand the work of journalists
working 24-hour a day. It’s something I never understood completely, I
thought that the media environment was much more simple. I was wrong.
These guys are fantastic... As players, we think we’re the only one
doing the tough job. Now that I know a little more about the
communication world, well, I would change my mind.
Maurizia Cacciatori, 39-years-old, is the former captain and
setter of the Italian team. After her debut in 1991, she collected 228
national caps. Best setter of the FIVB 1998 World Championship, she won
the bronze medal at the European Championship in 1999. She’s now a
technical commentator for SKY Sport, the sat TV which is the Italian
rights holder for London 2012.
Andrea Lucchetta
July 31, 2012 -
It’s nice to be back at the Olympic Games. I watch the matches from the
broadcasters area, commenting men’s matches for RAI Sport, the sports
channel of the Italian national television as I do during winter time
for the Serie A. Believe me, I’m really happy to see here so many
players of my generation now working with different roles. I saw USA
playing and it’s nice to spot Karch Kiraly and Paula Weishoff on the
bench, or Jenny Lang Ping on the stands, all gathered under the cozy
roof of the FIVB house. I still have fresh memories of my three Olympic
Games: Los Angeles ’84, Seoul ’88 - where I stayed at the Olympic
Village because I had my ankle plastered - and Barcelona ’92, which is
still remembered by our fans, together with Atlanta, as the biggest
disappointment in the Azzurri’s history.
Once upon a time… Well, we did not have the FIVB Heroes, but I can feel
now that all those great players of the past are still here, doing
something else but still helping their sport. I was really moved by the
opening ceremony when they’ve lighten up the cauldron: the idea of
having 204 coppers, which all together compose the masterpiece, that’s
exactly the empathy that I feel here with the FIVB family. We’re little
individuals who are composing a big world of sport.
I mean, 15,000 people who watch a volleyball game in a country
notoriously not familiar with volleyball… That’s something unbelievable!
It’s clear evidence that the Federations are working with goals in mind
as far as the promotion of the sport is concerned. I admit that I’m
dreaming of a new step of the Heroes’ project. A heroes’ team travelling
in all countries, playing with children and showing how brilliant and at
the same time familiar a volleyball star can be. Volleyball should be
everywhere and the top players should be effective ambassadors,
traveling everywhere during the off season. Personally, I had always
this in mind. Apart from my crazy layered hair, when I was a player I
used to act like a joker even during top matches, doing pepper with ball
retrievers or never missing a single autograph after the last whistle.
You never know who will become that child that you ignored that day: a
future player, a future sponsor, a future TV director who will always
remember the sad day when a volleyball player was too annoyed to sign
his or her notepad.
I have a last thought to share with the FIVB website readers. You
probably know that just after the Olympic Games the next FIVB Congress
in USA will discuss the approval of new rules. Well, I love the idea of
changing the passing rule, which would allow only a perfect overhand
pass. You do not understand me? If you have horse shoes attached to your
wrists and not two nice hands forget about volleyball, you’d better
receive the ball with a forearm pass, the typical “bagger”. This is a
perfect rule which helps not to forget the correct technique. You can
see here in Earls Court what the spectators really need: longer rallies.
They like the power of men’s attacking and serving skills, but the
loudest “uuuuuuhhhh” are for the best digs. That’s it. Volleyball should
take these directions: longer rallies and the display of perfect
technical skills.
Andrea Lucchetta, 50-year old former captain and middle
blocker of the Italian team, left the court in 2000 after exactly 20
years of Clubs Serie A in Italy. With the blue jersey he won the World
Championship in 1990 and was nominated best player of the event. He won
as well 3 World League and 2 Club World Championships. After he retired,
he started a TV commentator career and invested on volleyball promotion.
His last effort is the production of a volleyball TV cartoon “Spike
team”, which sees himself as a coach of a girls’ team.
Nikola Grbic
July 23, 2012 -
I feel that the podium in London will be shared by Russia, Brazil and
Poland but, like in Beijing and at a lot of other important tournaments,
there are always surprises. I think that Germany can cause an upset or
two, but I don't think they can win a medal. Also Serbia are very
interesting. Keep an eye on them.
Germany can spring a surprise because they don't have any pressure, and
they won against Bulgaria in Bulgaria in the Olympic qualifying
tournament before losing to Italy 3-2 in the finals. They have a young
team and an opposite in Georg Grozer who, on his day, can resolve a
difficult situation with his serve.
In my eyes the Serbian team is a good mix of players playing in such an
important tournament for the first time but lacking experience, and
players who have already played at the Olympics and are big names in the
international volleyball arena. The good thing is that, like Germany,
they don't have any pressure on them to win, so they can play in a more
relaxed way.
We saw what Serbia achieved in the European Championship when no one
thought they could win it. What’s more, they don't have a star in the
team like (Ivan) Miljkovic was last year so they are possibly stronger
as a team, less individual. But as for individuals who might be the
stars of the tournament, I would pick out (Michal) Winiarski (POL),
(Alexander) Volkov (RUS), (Maxim) Mikhailov (RUS) and Grozer.
There is no particular secret to winning a medal at the Olympics, other
than trying to be the best you can and to give everything you have.
After that the result is not important, because you couldn't have done
better and at least you'll have peace of mind. And of course there's a
desire to be there, because just to be a part of the Olympic tournament
with all those great athletes is a privilege. I can hardly describe the
emotions when first we won bronze, and then gold.
When we went to Atlanta we were satisfied just to be there, just to
participate. If we got into the quarterfinals that would be great, but
if not it was also ok.
When we won the bronze medal, I was thinking that if I stopped playing
volleyball at that moment it would be ok, because at the time it felt
larger than life itself. Then Tokyo 1998 happened and a silver medal at
the World Championship, and then Sydney!
The difference from Atlanta was that we weren't so anonymous any more
and there were expectations to win a medal, so that put more pressure on
us. But still, beating Italy in the semifinals and Russia 3-0 in the
final was an outcome no one could have predicted. We weren't completely
aware of how important our achievement was at the time. That came a few
days later, when the emotions had evaporated. To be an Olympic champion
is the biggest achievement a volleyball player can manage. It was like
jumping over the rainbow.
Nikola Grbic is one of Serbia's most famous former players.
Brother of another Serbia legend Vladimir, Nikola won gold at the 2000
Sydney Olympics and a bronze medal in 1996 at Atlanta. His international
honours include silver and bronze medals respectively in the 1998 and
2010 FIVB Men's World Championship, as well as a gold at the 2001
European Championships.
Lang Ping
July 19, 2012 - From recent matches we can see that the
young players of the US team are getting more and more experienced and
more mature. This team is very balanced overall and also very strong
over the net. In the last few years, they have had very good results in
major international events including the World Cup and the World Grand
Prix. For sure they will be one of the medal hopefuls for the London
Games.
The Italian team has slipped a little bit in the last few years, but I
think Carolina Constagrande will be the star to watch and I believe she
can help the team a lot. Compared with the Italian team that took part
in the Beijing Games, the current team is stronger in their powerful
side attacks. Generally speaking, this team is very experienced, plays
well both in offense and defence and I think they should not be
underestimated.
The Brazilian team is also very strong. Most of their players have
participated in the Beijing Olympic Games, where they got the gold
medal. It seemed that they were not doing so good in last year’s World
Cup and this year’s World Grand Prix, but maybe their lackluster results
had something to do with the new format and scoring system because we
can see that they lost a lot of points from five-set wins. Actually, the
fact that they can win so many matches in five sets is proof of their
strong abilities, and I think they will put on a good performance in
London.
The Chinese team is very young, plays aggressively and with high spirit.
They are also a well balanced team and they can play well in defence and
offense. Of course, if Wang Yimei can make the comeback on time, they
will be even stronger. Don’t forget that the Chinese women have won a
lot of medals in previous Olympic Games and I think they also have a
chance this time in London.
Turkey, Russia and South Korea could be the dark horses. In the last few
years, a lot of good players from all over the world joined teams in the
national leagues of Turkey, which benefited the local Turkish players a
lot. I was there as a coach for a season and I could see that their
teams played pretty well offensively and defensively. Maybe their
national team doesn’t have much experience in major events like the
Olympics, but I think they have the ability to produce some upsets if
they can get well prepared mentally.
The Russian team have had ups and downs in the last couple of years,
which made it really difficult to predict their performance. They play a
different style of volleyball and they could be very dangerous in
offense. They will have good results if they can perform to their top
level. A medal? It’s possible.
The Korean team is also worth noticing thanks to the existence of Kim
Yeon-Koung. The whole team plays well and Kim makes them even stronger.
I think now she is already one of the best hitters in the world and she
can also boost her teammates’ performance on the court. As an Asian
player, she has had very successful spells in the Turkish League. That’s
not easy, because the European players are physically stronger than the
Asians. But Kim made it, and I think her experience in Europe
demonstrated how strong she is.
Beside Kim, I think Destinee Hooker of the United States and Darnel
Neslihan from Turkey also have the ability to change games for their
teams. I knew Neslihan when she was 19 and she played very well in the
Italian League. She is a very talented left-hand hitter, having good
control of front row and back row defence. It’s really hard to stop her
over the net. She has had quite a few top scoring performances in major
international events, I believe she will excel in London.
Destinee is also a gifted hitter, very powerful in attack. I called on
her to join the national training camp when I was coaching the USA team,
and she is a very quick learner. There are actually a lot of talented
players in the US team, while Destinee appears to be outstanding in this
group of players. In general, I think Kim, Neslihan and Hooker will be
the players that their teams can count on at crucial moments.
Lang Ping is a former Chinese volleyball player and coach.
As a player she won gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games as well
as the 1981 and 1985 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup and 1982 FIVB
Volleyball Women's World Championship making her one of the most famous
sporting icons in her country. After retiring she became a coach for the
University of New Mexico for taking the helm of China's women's team,
leading them to silver at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and 1998 FIVB
Volleyball Women's World Championship. She later went on to coach USA in
2005, landing them silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. She is
currently coach of Evergreen club in China.