Score another one for home advantage. But make no mistake, Poland isn't that far off from a surprise winner out of a very strong and deep field of volleyball powers. Coming from one set down, Poland won three straight sets to defeat Brazil in the the Men's Volleyball Worlds today. Make no mistake, the host Polish faced a juggernaut in the final: not only was Brazil the world ranked #1 going into the tournament, they also were the current World League, World Grand Champions Cup, and World Cup champions - let alone the three-time defending champions from 2002, 2006, and 2010 and going for an unprecedented fourth-straight title.
But Poland was - and is - no slouch in volleyball. World Champions also in 1974, the nation has a rich history in the sport, with an Olympic gold in 1976 and 8 total podium finishes on Olympic, World Championship, World Cup, and World League stages since 1965. And, they were ranked world #5 going into this Championships. This year's win erases some painful memories from 2010, where they finished a painful 13th.
The final game was watched live by what was probably a very enthusiastic crowd of 12,000 in Katowice, and culminates a 22-day tournament of 24 teams (22 days! - now that's a 'World Cup', FIBA). Before Poland's emotional win, Germany won the bronze against France in somewhat of a surprise medal match with their pre-match rankings at 10 and 13, respectively. Meanwhile, other traditional powers RUS, USA, ARG, and ITA finished 5th, 7th, 11th, and 13th. For that, score another one for global competitive balance.
But Poland was - and is - no slouch in volleyball. World Champions also in 1974, the nation has a rich history in the sport, with an Olympic gold in 1976 and 8 total podium finishes on Olympic, World Championship, World Cup, and World League stages since 1965. And, they were ranked world #5 going into this Championships. This year's win erases some painful memories from 2010, where they finished a painful 13th.
The final game was watched live by what was probably a very enthusiastic crowd of 12,000 in Katowice, and culminates a 22-day tournament of 24 teams (22 days! - now that's a 'World Cup', FIBA). Before Poland's emotional win, Germany won the bronze against France in somewhat of a surprise medal match with their pre-match rankings at 10 and 13, respectively. Meanwhile, other traditional powers RUS, USA, ARG, and ITA finished 5th, 7th, 11th, and 13th. For that, score another one for global competitive balance.
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