First Men´s Volleyball World Championships was arranged in Prague on outside tennis courts in 1949. World Championship was the greatest volleyball event at this time, volleyball was included among olympic sports later. Soviet Union won the first gold medal.
History of World Champioships
year
|
place
|
gold
|
silver
|
bronze
|
1949
|
Czechoslovakia
|
Soviet Union
|
Czechoslovakia
|
Bulgaria
|
1952
|
Soviet Union
|
Soviet Union
|
Czechoslovakia
|
Bulgaria
|
1956
|
France
|
Czechoslovakia
|
Romania
|
Soviet Union
|
1960
|
Brazil
|
Soviet Union
|
Czechoslovakia
|
Romania
|
1962
|
Soviet Union
|
Soviet Union
|
Czechoslovakia
|
Romania
|
1966
|
Czechoslovakia
|
Czechoslovakia
|
Romania
|
Soviet Union
|
1970
|
Bulgaria
|
GDR
|
Bulgaria
|
Japan
|
1974
|
Mexico
|
Poland
|
Soviet Union
|
Japan
|
1978
|
Italy
|
Soviet Union
|
Italy
|
Cuba
|
1982
|
Argentina
|
Soviet Union
|
Brazil
|
Argentina
|
1986
|
France
|
USA
|
Soviet Union
|
Bulgaria
|
1990
|
Brazil
|
Italy
|
Cuba
|
Soviet Union
|
1994
|
Greece
|
Italy
|
Netherlands
|
USA
|
1998
|
Japan
|
Italy
|
Yugoslavia
|
Cuba
|
2002
|
Argentina
|
Brazil
|
Russia
|
France
|
2006
|
Japan
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
Country |
medal total
|
gold
|
silver
|
bronze
|
Soviet Union |
12
|
6
|
3
|
3
|
Czechoslovakia |
6
|
2
|
4
|
0
|
Italy |
4
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
Romania |
4
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
Bulgaria |
4
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
Cuba |
3
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
Brazil |
2
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
USA |
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
Japan |
2
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
Poland |
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
GDR |
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
Netherlands |
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
Yugoslavia |
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
Argentina |
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
France |
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|