Italy lost 10.63 points in the FIVB ranking after the ugly 3-0 defeat suffered this evening against Poland. The setback with the maximum difference on their debut in the Nations League cost the girls of coach Julio Velasco a lot, who in one fell swoop have lost two positions in the world rankings: from fifth place they moved up to seventh place with 328.34 points, overtaken by Poland (338.52) and also finishing behind China (329.65, which has yet to debut in the tournament).
The FIVB ranking must be observed with the utmost attention in the coming weeks. At the end of the preliminary phase of the Nations League, in fact, a line will be drawn and it will be the international ranking that will assign the last five passes to the Paris 2024 Olympics. Actually four coupons, since one is in fact already in the hands of Kenya as the best African team (the requirement of at least one representative per continent must be respected, even if they are only twentieth).
The four passes for the Games will therefore go to four teams best placed in the ranking and who did not qualify for the five-ring event through last autumn’s pre-Olympics. Turkey, USA, Brazil, Serbia and Poland occupy the top five places and are already sure of playing in Paris 2024. At the moment China, Italy and Japan would be celebrating (ninth, behind the already qualified Dominican Republic) and the Netherlandsbut Canada follows menacingly, while Germany and Thailand are decidedly further behind.
Italy’s defeat today should not cause alarm: the advantage over Canada, currently before the exclusions, amounts to 63 points. This is an important treasure, which however should not be squandered in future events. The Italians still have eleven matches to play in the Nations League, but only a series of countless defeats and a concomitant series of successes by Canada could seriously jeopardize qualification of the Bel Paese at the Olympics, without forgetting that Italy also has Holland and Japan behind them, so they too would have to play a decidedly better Nations League than that of Velasco’s girls to overtake them.
It will be important to play carefully, but without fear or misgivings. Already starting from Thursday against Germany, before the matches against Bulgaria (to be beaten at all costs) and against the very strong Turkey, holders of the European title. Below is the FIVB ranking updated at 11.00 pm on Tuesday 14 May.
FIVB WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL RANKING
1. Türkiye 397.46 (already qualified for the 2024 Olympics, via the pre-Olympic)
2. USA 358,652 (already qualified for the 2024 Olympics, via the pre-Olympic)
3. Brazil 352.55 (already qualified for the 2024 Olympics, via the pre-Olympic)
4. Serbia 350.86 (already qualified for the 2024 Olympics, via the pre-Olympic)
5. Poland 338.51 (already qualified for the 2024 Olympics, via the pre-Olympic)
6. China 329.65
7. Italy 328.34
8. Dominican Republic 308.86 (already qualified for the 2024 Olympics, via the pre-Olympic)
9. Japan 305.09
10. Netherlands 291.75
11. Canada 265.66
12. Germany 228.36
13. Thailand 222.00
14. Belgium 199.57
15. France 184.99 (already qualified for the 2024 Olympics, organizing country)
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20. Kenya 162.42 (already qualified for the 2024 Olympics, via the continental representation ranking)
