The German volleyball players started the last tournament before the Olympic Games with two defeats.
National coach Michal Winiarski’s team lost to Cuba 1:3 (24:26, 25:20, 18:25, 25:23) in the Nations League (VNL). The team had previously lost 0:3 (21:25, 18:25, 23:25) to world champion Italy on the German night at the site of the successful Olympic qualification in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
In the VNL there are a total of twelve preliminary round games at three locations for a place in the quarter-finals and points for the world rankings, through which the last Olympic tickets are awarded. Since Germany, unlike Italy and Cuba, has already secured its ticket to Paris, Winiarski is resting some deserving players who have a long season under their belt in the first week of the VNL.
For the players in Rio it will also be about recommending themselves for the Olympic squad. In the third VNL game, the Germans will face Argentina on Saturday (10:30 p.m. CEST).
