The late running of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo means that they feel like they only took place yesterday. And for fans of volleyball, the Olympics were an exciting exhibition of the sport in both indoor and beach formats.
2020 Recap
The United States topped the 2020 Olympics volleyball medal table with two golds, both picked up by its women’s teams. In the men’s tournaments, France secured gold in the indoor competition, while Norway took the glory on the beach. Other medals were won by Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Qatar, Serbia, and Switzerland.
Eyes on 2024
The 2024 Summer Olympic Games will be hosted in the French capital, Paris. The city will welcome the festival of athletics for the third time in its modern era, having previously taken on hosting duties in 1900 and 1924. The games will begin with the opening ceremony on 26th July and run until 11th August, with more than 10,000 athletes due to take part.
It may seem like the 2024 Olympics are a long way away, but now that we’re in 2023, there is just one year to wait. This means that for Olympians and athletes hoping to become Olympians, the race is on to secure a place in the competition, with many taken already. Volleyball is certainly no exception to this rule. However, there will be several changes (and many similarities) between 2020 and 2024. So here are the things you need to look out for.
The Fan Experience
Aside from changes to the games and qualification system, the overall fan experience will mostly remain the same. Volleyball and all other events will be broadcast on TV by a range of international partners. Of course, getting to the games in person will be overall easier, and Europeans will find the journey much shorter.
For those that enjoy making bets on volleyball (and other Olympic sports), most major sportsbooks will be offering betting markets on the games, just as they have done in previous years. As we saw for the 2020 games, we can expect sites like OddsChecker to collate all the free bet offers that fans can take advantage of during the Olympics so that they can get better value from their wagering.
Qualification
Qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games will heat up in 2023. France, as the host, is automatically granted spots for the men’s and women’s competitions, but the other countries that want to take part will have to earn a place. Therefore, there are a total of 44 spots up for grabs, 11 for each tournament.
The FIVB has changed its process for deciding who gets to head to Paris and has reduced the number of qualification tournaments from six to just three. This will simplify the process but will mean fans have fewer games to watch this year.
In September and October, 24 teams, that are selected based on their FIVB rankings, will compete for places at these qualification tournaments. The final positions in the Olympics will be decided in June 2024, using the FIVB rankings.
The Main Event
When the teams show up in Paris, they’ll also notice a different structure to the volleyball tournaments. Instead of two groups with six teams, they’ll be divided into three groups with just four teams. From these, the top two teams from each group, plus the two best third-placed teams, will make it into the play-offs. From here, the format remains unchanged from 2020.
Which Teams Look Strong?
Of course, a lot can still change between now and the beginning of the Olympic Games in Paris. However, we can still get an idea of which teams are likely to be strong contenders for the gold medal. France’s men’s team took gold in the 2020’s indoor competition and continues to have much of the same team. They are, therefore, an early favourite to win again. Brazil could also improve its fortunes with Yoandy Leal and Bruno Rezende on its team.
In the women’s tournaments, we cannot discount the USA after such a dominant performance last time out. Brazil is also looking strong after taking the silver in the women’s indoor event in Tokyo.
