Olympic Movement
24.08.2022
Brazil's volleyball players first to use Paris 2024 training centre
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Brazil's men's volleyball team have become the first to use the Paris 2024 training base established by the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) at Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine as they completed preparations for the World Championship in Slovenia and Poland.
"Experiencing, even for a few days, this pre-Paris 2024 environment is very good, it brings extra motivation to each of the athletes."
Brazilian coach Renan insisted.
A triple Olympian who won a silver medal as a player at the Los Angeles 1984 Games, Renan coached the team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics last year.
"Being able to have this taste on the eve of the World Championship will be fundamental, because in addition to the motivational factor, it gives us an idea of what we will have available in 2024. Playing in the Olympic Games is a dream for anyone who makes a living from the sport, with us it would be no different."
he added.
Brazil have been runners-up at the last two Volleyball Men's World Championships, after winning the previous three world titles to start the new millennium.
The qualification cycle for Paris 2024 begins with this World Championship.
"It's hard to think so far ahead in our athletic life, but having the opportunity to visit the facilities that the COB is preparing is a very nice experience. Our focus today is all for the Worlds, but it was important to have that moment. Representing Brazil at the Olympic Games is something incredible, but the World Championship is also a huge competition on our calendar."
admitted team captain Bruninho, who won Olympic gold at Rio 2016 and carried the Brazilian flag in Tokyo.
Brazil finished fourth in Tokyo, the first time they had missed out on an Olympic medal in men's volleyball since the Sydney 2000 Games.
The squad for the World Championship also includes 29-year-old Flavio, the leading blocker in the last Volleyball Nations League, but yet to play in an Olympics.
"It was a very good opportunity to get to know the structure that will be made available to the Brazilian team at the Paris Olympic Games. But this journey is one step at a time. We are on the eve of the World Championship, which is one of the most important events for us this season, but being here, in an Olympic setting, is a motivation."
Flavio said.
As part of their preparations, the team played a friendly match against Olympic champions France in Montpellier earlier this week but lost all four sets.
The Brazilians also held a coaching clinic for local youngsters before setting off for the World Championship.
Lucao, a member of their Rio 2016 gold medal-winning team, returned to training with the group as he continued his recovery from a sprained ankle.
Poland and Slovenia are staging the International Volleyball Federation's flagshp event after Russia was stripped of the right.
Brazil open their World Championship campaign against Cuba in Pool B on Friday (August 26) and meet Japan two days later, before concluding the pool phase against Qatar on August 30.
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