2003 - China Wins with Overwhelming Strength! Brazil and the United States also Gain Berth for Athens Olympics
Showing overwhelming strength, China wins the chance to take part in the Athens Olympics with their attacker Zhao Ruirui, who stands at 196 centimeters tall and has a reach that is well over 320 centimeters high. Brazil was placed second, led by their new coach, Guimaraes. The United States, which ranks Number 1 in the world, was placed third and has also won an Olympic berth.
Japan, led by Coach Shoichi Yanagimoto, had the same win-loss ratio as Italy with seven wins and four losses, but was placed fifth due to the set ratio. The seventeen year-old high school student Saori Kimura was suddenly included as a member in the games because Hiromi Suzuki was unable to participate due to an injury that was sustained right before the tournament. Tomoko Yoshihara, who was the only member of the Japanese team that had participated in the Olympics, led the team as its captain. Fans everywhere in Japan were captivated by the fight that each and every player, who was determined to participate in the Athens Olympics, showed, and fervently cheered them on. Although the chance to take part in the Olympics was lost in this tournament, it showed that there was hope for a great leap forward for Japan with results such as victories against Poland, with Glinka, who was awarded tournament MVP, and Cuba, with their outstanding jumping power and the high-jumping Yumilka Ruiz, in head-to-head matches thanks to the remarkable growth and performance of the new ace players; the nineteen year-old Kana Oyama and Megumi Kurihara. Since then, Japan has won the chance to take part in the Athens Olympics with the 2004 World Olympic Qualification Tournaments. |
