USA Today: polish volleyball players at the Olympic podium

Fourteen medals, including three gold ones, for the polish national team at this year’s Olympic games – these are the latest forecasts of the ‘USA Today’ websites. According to the American journal, the lower place at the podium will go to polish senior men’s volleyball national team, the only representative of the polish team games in London.

Fourteen medals, including three gold ones, for the polish national team at this year’s Olympic games – these are the latest forecasts of the ‘USA Today’ websites. According to the American journal, the lower place at the podium will go to polish senior men’s volleyball national team, the only representative of the polish team games in London.

- The ‘USA Today’ forecast about the polish national team, supervised by coach Andrea Anastasi, is very sober and realistic. The bronze medal at the Olympic games is possible. Along with this opinion, also come last year’s results of the white-and-reds and a good start of the season 2012 – said former coach of the senior men’s national team, Ireneusz Mazur.

Ireneusz Mazur stressed that third place in London ‘is not the end of possibilities of the European Championships’ bronze medalists’.  – With a little bit of luck, maximum focus at the most important matches, and intensive preparation process, the team is able to win much more than bronze. At the medal zone’s matches small details will be decisive. The difference between the third and the fourth place is very small – said former coach of the senior men’s national team.

In 2011, the senior volleyball men’s national team of Poland won a silver medal of the World Cup and bronze medals at the World League and the European Championships.

According to the above mentioned website of ‘USA Today’, three gold medals for Poland in London are supposed to be won by Marta Walczykiewicz (canoeing), Zofia Noceti-Klepacka (sailing) and Adrian Zieliński (weightlifting). Having 14 medals Poland would be ranked 25^th at the Olympic games qualifications.

Top ranked teams in London, according to the ‘USA Today’ website:
1. USA 42-19-28 (89)
2. China 35-37-20 (92)
3. Russia 20-30-31 (81)
...
25. Poland 3-4-7 (14).

Top ranked teams in Beijing:
1. China 51-21-28 (100)
2. USA 36-38-36 (110)
3. Russia 23-21-28 (72)
...
21. Poland 3-6-1 (10).