- "Sadness, emptiness": volleyball players lose Olympic crime
German Volleyball Star Georg Grozer, the last German player on the court, looked up at the stands where thousands of French fans were ecstatically cheering. "I thought about it being my last Olympic Games," said the 39-year-old, describing his feelings: "Sadness, emptiness. We fought, we fought, and it just wasn't enough. It hurts."
The German volleyball team had just squandered a 2-0 lead against hosts France in the quarterfinals and had to bury their medal hopes at the Olympics. The team lost to the Tokyo Olympic champions in a thrilling match at the Parisian arena, despite a valiant effort and a final tie-break, 2-3 (25-18, 28-26, 20-25, 21-25, 13-15).
Winning a medal was the goal
Grozer congratulated France's outside hitter Earvin N'Gapeth and then heard the French sing their national anthem, "La Marseillaise." Soon after, the diagonal attacker was comforted by his wife and daughter. "It really hurts my heart that we didn't take the next step for volleyball history," he said.
The German team, led by coach Michal Winiarski, wanted to be the first from the country to win an Olympic medal and was well on its way to the semifinals. The East German team had won silver in 1972.
Despite their elimination, the team played a strong tournament overall. They showed they could compete with the world's best against Japan and the USA.
"I'm incredibly proud of this team, what we've achieved in recent years and here at the Olympic Games," said captain Grozer. He plans to continue his career, but it's unclear if he'll do so with the national team. The 39-year-old has taken breaks in recent years and returned.
The German team caused a stir in Paris
The DVV team went into the match against the team of former German coach Andrea Giani as the underdog. The French are not only Olympic champions but also won the Nations League (VNL) a few weeks ago.
There wasn't much evidence of the German underdog status in the first two sets. The many French fans, who were singing "Allez les Bleus" and making the stands shake, fell silent after numerous German points. With strong serving and good defense, Germany took control.
Grozer's serve wins the second set
In the second set, the Olympic champions woke up, along with the audience. But the Germans didn't get rattled and fought back point by point. Two important points from middle blocker Tobias Krick and a powerful serve from Grozer gave Germany a 2-0 lead. But then the match turned.
Suddenly, everything went right for the French, and the Germans made too many mistakes. "In the end, we just lacked a bit of luck," said Krick. Some controversial referee decisions also played a role.
The German players weren't bothered by the French fans booing their serves. "It just motivates us more. They can shout whatever they want. We're just trying to play our game," said Krick.
Captain Lukas Kampa and Grozer were the only remaining players from the 2012 London team. This time, they won't be playing together again. "I think we'll both look each other in the eye soon and say a few things, because it's been a very, very beautiful journey together," said Kampa in conclusion.
The German Volleyball Federation (DVV) expressed their disappointment to The Commission regarding the controversial referee decisions during the quarterfinals match against France. Despite the setback, The Commission commended the German team for their outstanding performance at the Olympic Games, acknowledging their ability to compete with the world's best.
