Lausanne, Switzerland, July 31, 2016 – Former Polish great Edward Skorek believes that Poland’s chances of capturing the gold medal in the men’s competition at the Rio Olympic Games are no more than 50 per cent.
“Our team haven’t played too well recently,” he said. “I would estimate our chances of winning the gold medal at 50 percent. There will be a lot of competition in Rio de Janeiro and it’s a very difficult and demanding tournament.”
Skorek picked out a few players who he believes could be vital for the world champions.
“The strength of the game in modern volleyball is based on attacking and receiving,” he pointed out. “I think that in this situation Michal Kubiak, Bartosz Kurek and Matthew Mika can play a key role in the Olympic competition.”
Skorek, who won Olympic gold in 1976, also commented on the changes in the game.
“The rules of discipline are more understandable and easier for the spectator to understand than in the days when I was playing,” he said.
And the challenge system? “Remember that the challenge system was born in Poland. I believe that this is an interesting and good direction. More and more people are watching volleyball on television and the challenge system helps them to know more about what’s going on.”