The German volleyball players have qualified for the Olympic Games for the first time in more than ten years.
The team led by DVV star Georg Grozer also beat Qatar 3-0 (25:15, 25:20, 25:16) at the qualifying tournament in Rio de Janeiro and achieved the long-awaited victory early with their sixth win in their sixth game Ticket for Paris 2024. The German Volleyball Association won the only statistically significant game at the end of the tournament against Ukraine 3-0 (25:17, 25:12, 25:14).
But the jubilation was huge after the previous success against Qatar. “It’s crazy, it’s an incredible feeling, I can’t quite understand it yet, I’m just happy,” said Grozer, who excelled in Rio: “You should never give up believing in your dreams, we just did it – and now we’re going to Paris.” The DVV men last took part in the Olympic Games in London in 2012.
Against Qatar, Anton Brehme was the most successful scorer for national coach Michal Winiarski’s team with 14 points, while Grozer, who was strong again, had 13 points. By winning the second set, qualification for Paris was perfect. Without any pressure, Winiarksi’s team played freely against Ukraine, showing their class.
In Rio, Germany had already defeated Iran, Cuba and the Czech Republic. The DVV team also prevailed against the big favorites Brazil and world champion Italy and thus already created the ideal starting position.