World Grand Prix – Brazil Reign Supreme in Reggio Calabria
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
OFFICIAL BULLETIN No. 8 October 2006 Edition in English FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE VOLLEYBALL World Grand Prix – Brazil reign supreme in Reggio Calabria José Roberto Guimaraes’s girls The Brazilian girls finished the 2006 FIVB World celebrate their third Grand Prix with an exemplary consecutive World Grand Prix title record as the only team unbeaten in and sixth overall all 13 of the matches it played. In a familiar story, the Canaries qualified early for the Final Rounds, which they stormed through without a hitch, closing out with a 3-1 victory over a resilient Russian side. Brazil’s head coach José Roberto Guima- rães was full of respect for Russia after the final.“Russia has changed as a team since the qualification phase and caused us some difficulties in this match,” he said. “We had a chance to close out in the third set but were unable to conclude. In the fourth set we pulled away thanks to some very good blocks. We will need to take care next time we meet Russia, but I love to see matches like this one.” Final Round - Results - Pools A-B Ze Roberto now has just two months to Individual awards for the 2006 Date Teams Result prepare for the World Championships in Final Round Pool A - Days 1-3 Japan in November, where he will be seek- Most Valuable Player (MVP): 06-Sep China - Cuba 3-1 ing a first gold medal for the team. Sheilla Castro (Brazil) 07-Sep Cuba - Italy 3-1 Best scorer: Ekaterina Gamova (Russia) 08-Sep Italy - China 3-0 The best finish by Brazil’s women’s team Best spiker: Fabiana Claudino (Brazil) Pool B - Days 1-3 so far was the silver medal in São Paolo Best blocker: Sara Anzanello (Italy) 06-Sep Brazil - Russia 3-0 in 1994 in front of the home crowd – the Best server: Nancy Carrillo (Cuba) 07-Sep Russia - Japan 3-0 team’s only podium finish in 12 appear- Best setter: Eleonora Lo Bianco (Italy) 08-Sep Japan - Brazil 1-3 ances. Best libero: Arlene Xavier (Brazil) Ranking Pool A Sheilla Castro (BRA) Matches In this Issue Rk Teams Match Points MVP of the Final Round Points W L Ratio Volleyball 1 Italy 3 1 1 1.189 2 Cuba 3 1 1 0.932 • World Grand Prix Finals 3 China 3 1 1 0.911 • World Championships News Ranking Pool B Beach Volleyball 1 Brazil 4 2 1.272 2 Russia 3 1 1 0.971 • U-19 World Championships 3 Japan 2 2 0.814 • SWATCH FIVB World Tour Confederations Date Teams Result Day 4 - Final for places 5-6 • CAVB U-21 Championships 09-Sep China - Japan 3-0 • CAVB Day 4 - Semifinals Board of Administration 09-Sep Cuba - Brazil 0-3 Technical & Development 09-Sep Italy - Russia 3-2 Day 5 - Final for bronze - Places 3-4 • VCP Course in Cameroon 10-Sep Italy - Cuba 3-2 • Course Calendars Day 5 - Final for gold - Places 1-2 10-Sep Russia - Brazil 1-3 • 2006 FIVB Global Calendar www.fivb.org 2006 World Grand Prix VOLLEYBALL woMEN Final Standing - Preliminary Round Matches World Grand Prix Rk Teams Match Points Third and final leg of the preliminary round Points W L Ratio 1 Brazil 18 9 1.210 In the final leg of The last Final Six berth was open to the 2 Russia 17 8 1 1.136 the preliminary USA and Japan over the last weekend. 3 China 17 8 1 1.096 round, Brazil Japan capitalised on the psychological 4 Italy 16 7 2 1.135 extended its un- advantage of playing at home to hold out 5 Cuba 15 6 3 1.023 beaten record to against the Dominican Republic in a pul- 6 Japan 14 5 4 1.019 nine matches, having already quali- sating five-set match to secure its place in 7 U.S.A. 13 4 5 1.005 fied for the Final Round with ease. the Final Round. The USA team, on the 8 Dominican Republic 11 2 7 0.900 There was no sign of any relaxation other hand, were defeated by the strong 9 Korea 11 2 7 0.893 over the final weekend, however, as Russian side in their final match, which Ze Roberto’s girls breezed past Italy, meant that their only ticket to Italy was 10 Azerbaijan 10 1 8 0.965 the Dominican Republic and Japan in unfortunately for the connecting flight 11 Thailand 10 1 8 0.865 straight sets. back across the Atlantic from Rome. 12 Poland 10 1 8 0.858 Italy enjoys a victory over the Dominican Republic Cuba celebrates its win against China Brazil was the only team to beat Russia and China, who took second and third place at the end of the preliminary stage to secure their tickets to Reggio Calabria for the finals. Host country Italy finished fourth after losing only to Brazil and Chi- na in its nine matches, whilst Cuba’s 6-3 win-loss record was enough to keep them home and dry in fifth place. Week 3 - Results per pool Date Teams Result Pool G - Ningbo - China - Round robin 01-Sep Cuba - Poland 3-2 01-Sep China - Azerbaijan 3-1 02-Sep Cuba - Azerbaijan 3-0 02-Sep China - Poland 3-0 03-Sep Poland - Azerbaijan 3-2 03-Sep China - Cuba 3-0 Pool H - Bangkok - Thailand - Round robin 01-Sep Russia - Korea 3-2 01-Sep Thailand - U.S.A. 0-3 02-Sep Korea - U.S.A. 1-3 02-Sep Russia - Thailand 3-0 03-Sep U.S.A. - Russia 1-3 03-Sep Thailand - Korea 0-3 Pool I - Okayama - Japan - Round robin 01-Sep Brazil - Italy 3-0 01-Sep Dominican Republic - Japan 2-3 02-Sep Brazil - Dominican Republic 3-0 02-Sep Italy - Japan 3-0 03-Sep Dominican Republic - Italy 0-3 Nancy Metcalf of the USA spikes 03-Sep Brazil - Japan 3-0 against the Russian defence 2 FIVB World Volley News No.8 October 2006 2006 World Championships VOLLEYBALL woMEN volleyball woMEN “Secondly, we are suffering from injuries. Japan playing China aims for top three Zhao Ruirui, the best blocker in the world, and Zhang Ping, a key player who helped the name game at the Worlds us to win the Olympic gold, are still recov- ering and it is not sure whether they can The faces may be familiar, but the Chen Zhonghe, head coach of the Chi- take part in the Championship.” names on the back of the shirts mark nese Women’s National team, has tak- a break with tradition for Japan’s en a cautious attitude on his team’s Setter Feng Kun and opposite Zhou women’s volleyball team this year. No objectives for the coming World Cham- Suhong have recovered from injuries and longer just the formalities of the fam- pionship in Japan. saw action in the World Grand Prix Final ily name, but first names and Brazil- Six in Reggio Calabria, where China fin- ian-style nicknames are very much The head coach has told press that “I and ished fifth. “The Chinese team is a rela- “in” with the players in World Champi- my team are now under great pressure tively young team, and young players are onships year. and will certainly face very strong chal- not mature, stable and inexperience in lenges at the World Fireball Miyuki Takahashi will be known Championships. Many Chen Zhonghe, by her nickname, “Shin”, and 19-year-old people in China think head coach libero Akiko Ino will use the name “Sei” there is no problem of China’s from her high school, Seiei. for our team to clinch women’s the third major world team Middle blocker Makiko Horai will take the title at the Champion- first two letters of both names and go by ships after winning “Maho”, while eight of the 14 players in the World Cup and Ol- the World Grand Prix squad will use their ympic Games.” given names – even though Erika Araki will go with the more Westernised spell- “However, I must make ing “Erica”. it very clear that is not true at all,” he added. This leaves just three players bearing “Our target is to enter their family name, including Megumi Ita- the top three.” bashi because there is another, more fa- mous Megumi around: ace spiker Megumi Chen explained that “Megu” Kurihara, who missed the World “Most of the 24 quali- Grand Prix due to injury. fied teams are among the best in the world. Team manager Yuko Arakida explained They have been mak- the change in policy. “There are some ing full and intensive players who have the same family name, preparations so as to and usually we put the family name fol- achieve good results lowed by the initial of their given name,” in the Championship.” said the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games gold medal-winner. “Brazil, Italy, Cuba, the United States, Russia, “With the case of Takahashi, both girls Poland and the Neth- are ‘M’ – Miyuki and Midori – so Miyu- erlands are all top- ki will take her nickname ‘Shin’ and the ranked strong teams. Brazil, Italy, Cuba important international competitions,” other Takahashi will be Midori. We then and the United States have all defeated Chen contined. “They have not partici- decided to open it up to all players and us since last year. Besides, we cannot pated in any major international tourna- let them pick their own name. First names underestimate the strength and level of ments such as World Championships or or nicknames give them a special identity other teams, such as Azerbaijan and the Olympic Games.” with the fans.” Dominican Republic, either.” The head coach concluded that “What we should concentrate on now is to engage in hard training and improve further our technical level and team work through a series of warm-up matches and training.” The Chinese team will go to a training center after the Grand Prix to make their final preparations for the 2006 World Championships.