While Lorenzetti and his boys are rapidly approaching the end of the sixth week of preparation (last work sessions this afternoon and tomorrow morning before the rest Sunday), the lights of international volleyball come on for the last event of the long season summer reserved for national teams. From tomorrow 30 September to 8 October, in fact, in Brazil, Japan and China, to be precise in Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Xi’an, twenty-four national teams will battle to hit six passes (first two places in each concentration) that lead straight at the Olympics.
With Roberto Russo and Gregor Ropret absent from the rosters of Italy and Slovenia and already returned to Perugia to better take care of their ankles that came out battered from the European Championships, there will be six Block Devils on the field and in the hunt for the Olympic pass.
Four will compete in Rio de Janeiro in Pool A which sees among the announced protagonists the world champion Italy of Simone Giannelli and the green and gold hosts of Flavio and among the aggressive outsiders Cuba of Jesus Herrera and Ukraine of Oleh Plotnytskyi in a group that is completed with Germany, Iran, Czech Republic and Qatar.
Pool B in Tokyo will be without the Bianconeri, where Egypt, Finland, the hosts Japan, Slovenia (ropret’s orphan), Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey and the United States will compete.
Finally, two Block Devils on the field in Xi’an and also great favorites for access to the Olympics. In fact, in China there will be Poland, the fresh queen of Europe led by Wilfredo Leon and Kamil Semeniuk. Contending for Nikola Grbic’s men for qualification are Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Mexico, Holland and the hosts China.
With France already qualified as the host country of the Olympic Games, at the end of the three Pools another six national teams will have rightful access to Paris 2024. The last five available places will be assigned based on the world ranking on 24 June 2024 (end of the phase preliminary of the VNL 2024) giving priority to teams from continents that do not yet have qualified national teams and, secondly, to top teams not yet qualified.
