2020 Olympic Games - Tokyo (Female)

Quote from werka

Is CHN WVT still training? Good for them. Can’t say the same for USA, SRB and ITA.

I'm 99.999999999999% sure they're still training.

Quote from werka

Is CHN WVT still training? Good for them. Can’t say the same for USA, SRB and ITA.

On the assumption that Games won't be postponed. Plus, they were always to train (live, really) military-style; as long as other teams have enough time to practice and train, it's business as usual.

Well good for China cause they have no new cases anymore...

Quote from werka

Well good for China cause they have no new cases anymore...

They do have new cases.

After the decision to postpone Olympics for one year the interesting question arises, if the current qualifications are preserved - I guess, they will, but nothing is for sure now.

Quote from StefanS

After the decision to postpone Olympics for one year the interesting question arises, if the current qualifications are preserved - I guess, they will, but nothing is for sure now.

No way can they not preserve it.... Otherwise what is the justice for the qualified teams?

now the other problem is, teams qualified 2 years before the games... will they retain their form for next year?????

Quote from ossubtus

now the other problem is, teams qualified 2 years before the games... will they retain their form for next year?????

This is going to be FIVB's call. If everything is getting pushed back on a time calendar, I just don't think that there will be time to have another qualification round.

VNL was to be after Olympics. Olympics were to end August 9th.

So say VNL was to start two weeks after Olympics you are looking at August 25 (Tue-Thurs for Women). Throw in 6 weeks of play before finals.

You are looking at Sept. 30 for the end of play and that's before a final, if they do play 15 matches. I think it will be more like 9 matches because of the club season coming.

Club beginning end of Sept, early Oct.

Get back to normal end by May.

I just do not see that it is going to be possible to replay everything.

Quote from ossubtus

now the other problem is, teams qualified 2 years before the games... will they retain their form for next year?????

Unless there are substantial amount of players get retired in a year, I don't expect any drastic change in performance of players

What do you expect will happen now when it comes to ECH 2021? The tournament is expected to unravel next summer with Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania as the hosting countries. Do you believe they might play be able to put it through either before or after the OG, and thereby avoid to cancel it, or do you expect ECH might be canceled altogether?

Quote from hakin12

What do you expect will happen now when it comes to ECH 2021? The tournament is expected to unravel next summer with Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania as the hosting countries. Do you believe they might play be able to put it through either before or after the OG, and thereby avoid to cancel it, or do you expect ECH might be canceled altogether?

CEV is all about money. I am pretty sure they will do their best to keep the tournament, however it is hard to tell anything right now since we don't know which month OG will be organized. The announcement just said 'it will be organized no later than 2021 summer'. This is very vague to make a guess

Quote from serdar

CEV is all about money. I am pretty sure they will do their best to keep the tournament, however it is hard to tell anything right now since we don't know which month OG will be organized. The announcement just said 'it will be organized no later than 2021 summer'. This is very vague to make a guess

Yes, but I suppose that if they succeed in their effort and make it happen, then we will, unfortunalety, in effect see a decline in prestige and a lot of withdrawals from key players to the extent a lot of rosters might effectively appear as rather second-rate or B-teams, regardless of if the tournament occurs prior or after the OG. If they make the tournament before OG, more "stars" might appear but hardly particularily motivated and very cautiously due to an obvious unwilllingness to be affected by an injury at that point.

On one hand, I see what you mean, but on the other, being in an Olympic year or the year of World Championship has never stopped Brazil and USA from trying their hardest with their best (or nearly best) squads to win WGP/VNL, so...

Some will no doubt consider it of lesser importance and thus not send their full-on A squad, but some will. That happens to all except the biggest 2 tournaments in the world (above named), so it's not exactly something revolutionary new.

Quote from hakin12

Yes, but I suppose that if they succeed in their effort and make it happen, then we will, unfortunalety, in effect see a decline in prestige and a lot of withdrawals from key players to the extent a lot of rosters might effectively appear as rather second-rate or B-teams, regardless of if the tournament occurs prior or after the OG. If they make the tournament before OG, more "stars" might appear but hardly particularily motivated and very cautiously due to an obvious unwilllingness to be affected by an injury at that point.

I don't think there'll be a drop in the tournament's prestige. There are only 4 teams that LL be competing in OG: Italy, Serbia, Russia and Turkey. All other teams will compete their best rosters. Both Italy and turkey has very young teams so I don't expect any of their players skip ECh (maybe Eda and Bosetti). Russia might rest Goncharova but rest is young as well. I doubt that Serbia will be with their full roster since some of their players are not young and Terzic is known to pick tournaments. All in all I don't expect a drastic drop of the level of ECh

Thaisa - De Kruijf could be the sassiest MB duo ever

I think Paris will happen in 2024.. I did some research about all the time that Olympics were postponed, but or they were canceled, or they happened in the same year... Now, I think Paris will happen in 2024 because even if Tokyo will be in 2021, the competition will keep the name "Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020"

I think thread shouldn’t be changed because these still will be Olympic Games 2020 but just held in 2021.
Also 2024 will take place as scheduled, no reason to change any dates.

What do you guys think about which teams benefited the postponement of OG and which one will suffer from it?

In theory the oldest teams would suffer from another year of waiting and the youngest teams would have another year to improve. My thoughts on the major teams:

Japan: They don't have many old players in their starting 6 but they have a great junior Nt that played amazing last year. Many of them can improve and claim a spot in the final roster till 2021. Thus, I think they will benefit from the delay.

Serbia: They don't have any 'old' player in their roster except Maja (she will be 37) and Popoviç (she will be 35) but considering the fact that both setter and libero positions are the least affected positions by age. That's why we shouldn't expect drastic drops in their performances in a year. All other starters are already at their peak, I don't think waiting for another year will neither benefit nor from a year delay. Their youngest player Boskoviç can just become better (how better she can be considering she is already playing superb) Maybe other youngsters Lazoviç will have a chance to prove herself and get a spot in the Olympic roster. Meanwhile Milenkoviç will also have another year to get in her pre-injury shape.

China: Yan Ni and Zheng Chunlei are the only players above 30. Zheng is not really important player for this Olympic cycle whereas Yan Ni is one of the most influential MBs, she is as important as Xinyue Yuan, if not more. And another year for an MB can make a difference at her performance unlike setters and liberos. On the other hand, China has another great prospect, Yang Hanyu, who can finally prove herself and grab the 3rd MB position. Another young player would definitely benefit from a year delay is Li Yinying. She is already a great player but another year working on her reception skills might make a difference for CHN. Agewise, other starter players wouldn't be affected by another year waiting.

United States: The performances of starter players like Larson and Akinradewo might be affected. Larson's shape is already declining at the age of 34. Akinradewo will be 34 next year, not the greatest age for an MB (unless she is a Brazilian MB of course ). Bright side of waiting another year for OG is newcomers like Thompson, Foecke and Plummer will have time to prove themselves in case that they keep improving next season. Also another year to finally find a decent libero which has been the weakest position of USA since Sykora left.

Brazil: They will be the team that will suffer most due to delay of OG since their starters are the oldest among the participating teams. Sheila and Fabiola will be 38, Dani Lins and Fabiana, will be 36, Jacqueline, Adenizia and Garay will be 35 and Thaisa will be 34. Thaisa seems to be on top of her game so there’s no worry for her but the other veteran players will be worse than their current shape. There are not many youngster who could benefit from playing another season. Maybe Drussyla could go back to her pre-injury shape and be ready to take a spot from veteran ladies.

I will write about other teams tomorrow, it is already too long