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Poland claim Olympic silver in men's volleyball

10.08.2024 15:00
The Polish men's volleyball team has won the silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Jean Patry of France (R) in action against Norbert Huber (L) and Bartosz Kurek (2-R) of Poland during the Mens Gold Medal Match between France and Poland of the Volleyball competitions in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, 10 August 2024.
Jean Patry of France (R) in action against Norbert Huber (L) and Bartosz Kurek (2-R) of Poland during the Men's Gold Medal Match between France and Poland of the Volleyball competitions in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, 10 August 2024.Photo: EPA/RITCHIE B. TONGO; PAP/EPA

Despite a hard-fought battle on Saturday, the world number one ranked side Poland was defeated 0-3 by France who claimed gold.

France defended their title from the Tokyo Games but this time on home soil inside a rocking South Paris Arena 1.

Bartosz Kurek was Poland's top scorer with 10 points while their biggest star Wilfredo Leon had a quiet game by his standards with just nine points

The Poles, managed by Serbian coach Nikola Grbić, reappeared in the final after 48 years but were left to rue a missed opportunity to claim their second gold after winning the title at the 1976 Montreal Games.

The Polish team, which is a strong contender in international volleyball, had been named among the country's best hopes for a gold medal in France.

However, the Paris 2024 medal marks a historic achievement, as since the 2004 Athens Games, the men's team had been unable to advance past the quarterfinals, giving rise to the notion of a 'quarterfinal curse' hanging over them.

Poland won world championship titles in 2014 and 2018 and finished runners-up in 2022.

Last year, Poland won the Men's European Volleyball Championship.


(mo)

Source: PAP, Reuters