Posts by Keyser

    So basically, what they actually tried to do here is make VNL more relevant and force the NTs to send their best players to every competition. Even though that is the exact opposite of what the players want, as so many have complained about the length of the international season and how exhausting it is with so much travelling.

    FIVB have again proven that they are indeed arses.

    ˄ Perhaps not state sponsored, but definitely sponsored by corporations (i.e. Nike) who make A LOT of money of these athletes. If a major athlete like Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps' sample tested positive on something, you can bet your ass that it would instantly be covered up.


    I think the ban should be limited to individual sports, since doping in team sports isn't that big of an issue. And I think Russia should get banned, but then China, Ukraine, North Korea, Belarus etc should get the same treatment.

    Why are you lot arguing over a clickbait article?

    Literally none of the mainstream sport media reported this load of bollocks, yet somehow it turned into a race debate here :sos:

    Having said that, if it were to happen, obviously FIVB would call it "wild card slot" and give it to the federation who will pay the most money.

    IMO, the situation is very different.


    Terzić did/does have issues with individual players, not an actual rebellion of the whole team. Furthermore, unlike the Polish girls, Spasojević (and others) weren't forced to publicly outright speak against Terzić (even if the conflicts were public knowledge).

    Also, Terzić at that point already had big successes with the NT in his CV, so the federation had reason to put their trust in him. Nawrocki doesn't.


    I don't think the president of the Polish federation is right to make the comparison at all.

    I doubt the Dutch federation would let Morrison go if they hadn't been in contact with someone already. They probably have a plan for the OQT and have already been negotiating with someone, otherwise it would be silly to sack a coach at this point.

    I love the graphics they did for this, it's much more neat now and you can see the complete current standing for the field events.

    The direction of the live transmission isn't good tho. 3000m steeplechase had a crazy photo-finish, they didn't even bother to show a replay; they completely ignored the women's discus final in the live feed; there was a weird moment in women's shot put where a Jamaican athlete had a gold-winning shot, but it was called fault, and they didn't show a replay of the shot or the reason it was called fault.


    Still, Athletics WCh is always fun to watch anyway.

    Dunno if this has been posted already, but here's the Dream Team


    Benjamin Toniutti (FRA) - setter
    59.57% setter efficiency, the highest among the main play-makers of the top four teams; only 8.5% of the French team’s attacks were blocked

    Aleksandar Atanasijevic (SRB) - opposite
    143 points, including 14 blocks; the third best scorer of the tournament; the second best spiker of the tournament; the most efficient spiker among the main opposites of the top four teams

    Uros Kovacevic (SRB) - outside spiker
    133 points, including 17 blocks; the fourth best scorer of the tournament and the best among all outside spikers; the fourth best spiker of the tournament and the best among all outside spikers; the fifth best blocker of the tournament and the best among all outside spikers; MVP of EuroVolley

    Wilfredo Leon (POL) - outside spiker
    116 points, including 17 aces and 14 blocks; 59.86% success rate in attack; the second best scorer among all outside spikers; the third best server of the tournament and the best among all outside spikers; the second best blocker among all outside spikers

    Jan Kozamernik (SLO) - middle blocker
    12 aces and 12 blocks towards 73 points total; the third best scorer among all middle blockers; the best server among all middle blockers

    Srecko Lisinac (SRB) - middle blocker
    11 aces and 12 blocks towards 55 points total; the second best server among all middle blockers

    Jani Kovačič (SLO) - libero
    36.84% perfect reception, the third highest of the tournament and the highest among the top four teams


    I also think that it's a bigger waste of potential on the men's side, but it's hard for me to hold sympathy for the Cuban men team after Finland.

    Yes, I know it's unrelated to those best players, but it's something that just cast a huge stain on Cuban volleyball for me.

    It's too early to predict groups, anything can happen in those continental QTs.

    Thailand can obviously challenge Korea, especially considering the fact that Thailand is hosting

    In Europe, Turkey and Netherlands are the hot favs, but it can easily happen that they lose to any of the other teams, as seen in ECh.

    Cameroon is only slight favourite against Kenya.

    DOM is an experienced team, but have shown many times how unreliable they can be, and will have to fight off up-and-coming Canada.

    Argentina is probably the safest bet to win their tournament, although Colombia is no joke.

    6 groups consisting of 4 teams. We're gonna have every team playing 3 matches in the group so there will be 6 (3+2+1) matches for every group, thus 36 matches overall in the group stage. The 12 first two teams from each group and the best four third placed teams will qualify to the 8Fs. So the elimination round will be 16 (8+4+2+1+1) matches (including the match for the third place). So overall, we'll have 52 (36+16) matches in the Olympics.


    Now let's see how's the current format: two groups consisting of 6 teams. During the group stage there are 15 matches for each group, therefore 30 matches during the group stage. The elimination round is 8 matches (4+2+1+1) with including the third place match. So considering the current format there will be 38 matches, and in the suggested format it'll be 52.


    So I don't see how it's "unrealistic" as you mentioned. 14 more matches wouldn't be so much that we can go as far as calling it impossible and unrealistic. The group stage can be done in one week and the other next week the elimination round begins. Doesn't sound like a tournament which makes plays exhausted, it's actually quite realistic with this format. The only thing is that the team's will play less matches in the group stage (from 5 to 3)

    You forget that there is also the women's tournament, and all the matches are played in the same venue. What you propose would require the host to produce two arenas specifically for volleyball, which probably wouldn't be a good investment.
    And then, by default, they would have to do the same thing for other team sports, build even more arenas, the cost of which would be huge.

    It's just that volleyball isn't that popular and increasing the number of matches at the Olympics wouldn't be profitable.


    I personally like it that there is only 12 teams, it makes the Olympic tournament more prestigious. The problem is the qualifying system. It triggers me that Serbia, a consistently strong NT, is likely miss out on their 2nd Olympics in a row, but teams like Mexico and Chile get to play.