Topknot Warrior Blizzard
The young French setter Brizard has a trademark "chonmage" style with his slightly long black hair. He is the lucky boy of this tournament. I introduced him in another article before.
He was originally a reserve player, but in the quarterfinals against Poland he replaced the starting setter and captain Toniutti, blocking serves and redirecting the ball to avoid a target, which led to a come-from-behind victory. He was also selected from the start in the semifinals and showed a stable performance, so we think he will probably be the starter in the finals. Brizard's appeal is that in addition to his tossing skills inherited from his senior Toniutti that confuse the opponent's block, which is centered around the center area, he can also score with blocks and jump serves. He also played in the Russian league last season, so he is familiar with Russian players and should be able to lead France to an advantageous position. Keep an eye out for his combination with fellow young middle player, Cineniese!
Volkov's roar!
This guy barks. He barks relentlessly (lol). Such is the lively Russian representative Volkov. Every time he makes a spike, he lets out a roar to the bench and the audience, livening up the team. Volkov is a young outside hitter who has supported the Russian national team since 2017 along with the same-age Kliuka. In contrast to the cool Kliuka, who has a bushy beard, Volkov looks and plays like a mischievous kid, but he is skilled enough to have led his team to victory in the 2019 Nations League, where he won the MVP award. Not only does he have powerful spikes, but his powerful jump serve, which is delivered from a slightly low toss, is also a major weapon. Once you get him going, there's no stopping him. How many times will he bark today?! lol
Both directors have ties to Japan
Both of the coaches competing in this final have connections to Japan's V-League. France's coach, Coach Tille, is currently the coach of the Panasonic Panthers. He is a cheerful, expressive man, full of humor, who lightens the mood with jokes even during practice and press conferences. Since taking charge of the French national team in 2012, he has been a brilliant coach who has revived the struggling team, leading them to victory in the World League, the European Championships, and now to the Olympic finals. Incidentally, Kevin, a player on the French national team, is his second son.
Meanwhile, Finnish coach Samuelvo, who leads the Russian national team, played for Toyoda Gosei (now WD Nagoya) in the 2005/06 season. He was fondly nicknamed "Koppi". During his time as coach of the Russian League's Kuzbass, he was praised for leading the team to victory in the Russian League, and in 2019 he became the coach of the Russian national team. His coaching style places emphasis on communication and building trust with the players, and he is highly trusted by players and staff alike. He is fluent in seven languages, including Finnish and Russian. He can also apparently speak Japanese.
Be sure to keep an eye out for this showdown between these two great generals!
The final will start at 9:15pm!
The final will be held today at 9:15pm! You can watch it online!
It will also be recorded and broadcast on TV!!
BS-1 22:35~
These are just a few of the highlights. I'm sure the final will be full of other highlights! You'll also get to see the super handsome Klevno!! lol
Be sure to check out this exciting show tonight!
Photo: FIVB
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