2024 Paris Olympic Games

    the reason for the switch to 3 groups is as follows:


    1. Fewer games played in pool play

    Had to have 30 matches in 5 days, so 6 matches a day (both sexes)

    Now only 24 matches in 9 days, so 2-4 matches a day (both sexes)


    2. More time gaps between individual matches.

    Fewer matches mean longer breaks for working staff, FIVB and referees, media


    3. 6 team pools often had meaningless last matches.

    So with only 4 team pools, last matches mean something.

    Prevents teams losing on purpose to get a better opponent.

    With an additional pool, final opponent will be based on wins, points and sets ratio across all pools, 1-8.

    Better to have four groups of three, top 2 advance.

    Quote from taylor10

    I'm not against 3 pools but they have to change the rule to seed host as first in the rankings. Group A with the host and worst ranking team will create a massive imbalance with 3 pool system.

    Group A: China CN, Serbia RS, Dominican Republic DO, Netherlands NL, Canada CA, Czechia CZ, Mexico MX, Ukraine UA


    Group B: Japan JP, Brazil BR, Turkiye TR, Belgium BE, Bulgaria BG, Puerto Rico PR, Argentina AR, Peru PE


    Group C: Poland PL, Italy IT, United States US, Germany DE, Thailand TH, Colombia CO, South Korea KR, Slovenia SI


    What's wrong with the Group A?


    “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”

    This group A is hardest BUT they are talking about Paris :roll:


    Look at eurovolley 2023 and what unbalance made Estonia as 1st seed.

    Quote from Sentenza_69

    Whatever formula you choose, putting the host team as the top seed is bulls**t...

    yes, but with an even number of teams in the group, it is particularly BS because the host is almost guaranteed to be seeded with the weakest team, who is significantly weaker than everyone else.

    I disagree with all arguments

    1. Why would one want to reduce number of games in a tournament that matters the most for this sport?🤦

    2. Volleyball players deal with other tournaments like wch, ech or vnl which has way busier schedules. And neither referees nor media stuff needs longer breaks🙄

    3. This is so not true, many times 4-5th place were decided in last 2 games of pool matches


    With group of 6 teams, the Olympic winner was playing against most top teams of the tournament which make the title more deserved. In current system, one can get a lucky draw like being in pool a, and be medalist without playing other good teams

    Quote from serdar

    I disagree with all arguments

    1. Why would one want to reduce number of games in a tournament that matters the most for this sport?🤦

    2. Volleyball players deal with other tournaments like wch, ech or vnl which has way busier schedules. And neither referees bir media stuff needs longer breaks🙄

    3. This is so not true, many times 4-5th place were decided in last 2 games of pool matches

    1. FIVB chose to reduce, but I am fine with it.


    2. Remember FIVB/VBW is trying to work with the players.

    London had matches start at 9:30 the final match started at 22:00. Plus tickets were sold in 2 match pairs.

    Rio was the same start at 9:30 except 22:35 start for final match of the day

    Tokyo was 9:00 to 21:45 start for final match of the day

    The shift to 4 individual matches will enable Paris to sell individual matches in pool play.

    Plus if the athletes want to actually experience the games outside of their sport, they may have the chance to do it.


    3. We know that teams have lost with the B team in the past to avoid opponents in the crossover. Now, you really will not know your opponent until all matches are played.

    Germany (head coach Heynen, to be precise) could reactivate the retired opposite Kimberly Drewniok for the olympic qualifyer tournament, which is at least an improvement for the team, but chances for them to qualfiy remain rather low.

    Here is the official list of the 14 girls chosen by Mazzanti for the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Lodz:


    S: 4. Francesca Bosio, 23. Giulia Gennari.

    OH: 17. Myriam Sylla (C), 14. Elena Pietrini, 2. Alice Degradi, 3. Francesca Villani.

    O: 15. Sylvia Nwakalor, 24. Ekaterina Antropova.

    MB: 1. Marina Lubian, 11. Anna Danesi, 19. Federica Squarcini, 34. Linda Nwakalor.

    L: 7. Eleonora Fersino, 20. Beatrice Parrocchiale


    Compared to the European Championship, Egonu, Orro and Omoruyi exit and Villani and Linda Nwakalor enter...

    On 13 September 2023 the NED and UKR teams arrived at Ningbo, Zhejiang for participation in the OQT Group A.






    Source:



    “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”

    I just looked again at this chronological list to grasp why the Chinese team failed to advance to the knock-out stage beside their some earlier upset defeats in the 2020 Tokyo OG... it's because the eventual champion the US team threw out their match against the Russian team by losing in straight 0-3 on 31 July 2021 after their three earlier consecutive wins secured their position (the US only defeat in the entire tournament) thus even the Chinese team succeeded to win over the Italian team 3-0 at the same day on later schedule, the team could not save their position because the Russian team had one more win than the Chinese team. A match throw-away that sank the Chinese team's chance to the QF (in addition to their own upset losses to TUR, 0-3 and esp. the RUS, 2-3).


    Therefore, the new FIVB arrangement that prevents any team from throwing away their match to sabotage other team's chance is welcomed! Each match should be significant so that no team can throw it away or play foul there!


    Browse the details here:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…0%93_Women%27s_tournament


    As for the host team gets the favorable seeding position, well, that's a natural benefit for any nation that's willing to spend a lot of money to host the event. I am perplexed when the financial burden in hosting a big sport event moreover as big as the Summer Olympics is being ignored in any serious discussion... and that the host country should not entitle for any extra benefit such as the seeding position. It's just unreal to the life reality.


    “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”

    It doesn't look like a throw to me and it's better to not accuse others.


    (that being said, if it is a throw, it is a very professional job and well disguised)


    better to ask ourselves why we can't beat an average team when up 2-1 20-13 in the 3rd game of group stage matches.

    at that scoreline?

    your assessment is the same as the Chinese fans claiming it is China's strategy to lose their opening matches.

    are you saying that the Americans planned to lose Thompson to an injury in the 2nd set?

    because in the first set, they got 20 and after thompson got injured in the early part of set 2 (their highest scorer), they lost it with a score of just 12.

    Regarding the Lodz tournament, the question of international scheduling is absurd and the FIVB and CEV absolutely must dialogue because in this way, among the many problems, thinking of giving volleyball visibility on television becomes utopic...


    While on Saturday the finals of the men's European Championship will be played in Italy (bronze match at 6pm and gold match at 9pm) with France, Slovenia, Poland and Italy, in Lodz, in the women's pre-Olympic, at 5pm there will be Poland-Slovenia and at 8.45pm Italy-Korea... If Italy goes to the final with the men, will play at the same time as the women, just as the loser among the men of Poland and Slovenia, it will play at the same time as their national women's team...