Poland and France are set for an epic gold-medal clash in the Paris 2024 men’s volleyball finals. The world’s top-ranked team, Poland, will battle the reigning Olympic champions and host nation, France, in what promises to be a historic showdown. Meanwhile, Italy will face the USA in the bronze-medal match, with both teams eager to secure a spot on the podium.
Semi-Finals Recap
Poland 🇵🇱 vs. USA 🇺🇸
Poland’s dramatic victory over the United States was the highlight of the day, as the Poles clawed their way back from a 2-1 deficit to win in five sets. This historic win ended a 43-year dry spell and earned Poland a place in an Olympic final for the first time since the Montreal 1976 Games.
photo. Volleyball World
Italy 🇮🇹 vs. France. 🇫🇷
In the second semi-final, the French team delivered a dominant performance, sweeping past Italy in straight sets. The atmosphere in the arena was electric, with a home crowd that sounded like it could have been the entire population of France. With this victory, the French team now has the opportunity to become only the third team in history to defend the men’s Olympic title, following in the footsteps of the United States, who achieved this feat in 1984 and 1988.
photo. Volleyball World
As IBB Polonia London, we are incredibly proud to see the Polish National Team advance to the final of the world’s most prestigious sporting event.
Our connection to this success runs deep. Through our long-standing friendship with one of Poland’s top volleyball clubs, PGE Skra Bełchatów, we’ve had the honor of hosting current Olympic finalists in London in the past. This collaboration was highlighted during the London Legacy Cup for the Polish Airforce Trophy, which commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. The event, held at the Copper Box Arena in 2015, was the largest volleyball event in England that year. Fans had the chance to watch players like Marcin Janusz, now the setter for the Polish national team and an Olympic finalist, as well as Andrzej Wrona, who is now providing commentary for Eurosport.
photo. IBB Polonia London archive
The Paris 2024 Games also feature several connections to IBB Polonia London. Krzysztof Ignaczak, who played for our club in 2017, is now part of the TVP Sport studio team. Giba, a volleyball legend who represented IBB Polonia London in 2020 when we won the English championship, is closely following the action in Paris. Additionally, Ci Michel is providing on-the-ground reports from the games. PGE Skra Bełchatów, our partner club, is represented in the Polish squad by Grzegorz Łomacz, one of the heroes of the semi-final against the USA. Other former Skra players who have been pivotal to Poland’s success include Paweł Zatorski, Marcin Janusz, Jakub Kochanowski, Bartosz Kurek, and Mateusz Bieniek.
photo. Volleyball World
We can’t wait for the big final! The match will take place at 12:00 PM BST (1:00 PM local Paris time) on Saturday. Fans in the UK can watch the men’s volleyball final for free with English-language commentary on the BBC and iPlayer, while those in Ireland can tune in on RTE.
Additionally, don’t miss the bronze medal match between the United States and Italy on Friday, 9 August, at 3:00 PM BST (4:00 PM local Paris time). It promises to be another thrilling encounter as both teams vie for a place on the podium.
We can’t wait for those games to happen!
