Russia: Itching to get back at very top of Olympic podium

There's no doubt which country has been the most successful at the Olympic Games since volleyball was introduced to the Olympic Programme at Tokyo 1964: It's Russia, who top the sport's medal table in the men's competition with four gold, three silver and three bronze medals.

However, of their four Olympic titles only one was clinched as Russia and in this century. Their previous three were won at Tokyo 1964, Mexico City 1968 and Moscow 1980 as the USSR.

It was not until London 2012 that Russia got their big breakthrough and (after back-to-back medals - silver at Sydney 2000, bronze at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008) returned to the top step of the Olympic podium.

Russia's coach at the time, Vladimir Alekno, worked some magic in moving Dmitriy Muserskiy from the middle to opposite and switching Maxim Mikhaylov from opposite to the outside after he found his team trailing by two to Brazil and on the brink of a heavy defeat.

The inspired intervention turned the game around and Russia struck Olympic gold for the first time in 32 years.

But four years later, at Rio 2016, Brazil got their revenge, knocking out Russia in straight sets in the semifinals. Then Russia got a taste of their own medicine, when they led USA 2-0 in the bronze medal match only to lose in five and finish without a medal for the first time since Atlanta 1996.

Towering (at 2.18m) Muserskiy was lined up to make a comeback this year at the Tokyo Olympics, after having missed out Rio 2016 due to health problems. Injury struck again this year and the now 32-year-old once more leaves a gap in the team - in two positions.

But from that golden team of London 2012, there is one player who's back for the Tokyo Games - Mikhaylov, who will be playing alongside four more members of the Rio 2016 squad: Artem Volvich, Dmitry Volkov, Egor Kliuka and captain Igor Kobzar.

In fact, for Mikhaylov, 32, it will be his fourth Olympics, having also been on the bronze medal-winning team at Beijing 2008.

Russia struggled a lot as they returned to action earlier this season at the 2021 Volleyball Nations League, after more than a year away from the courts due to the pandemic.

Although they came in as defending champions, having won both previous VNLs in 2018 and 2019, this time round they failed to even make the Final Four of the competition at Rimini, ranking 5th overall after pool play on an 11-4 record.

Muserskiy played briefly in only five matches (both as opposite and middle blocker) before returning home due to his injury, but Mikhaylov was third scorer of the VNL overall with 201 points.

And Volvich proved solid in the middle - the fourth-best blocker in the tournament with .47 blocks per set.

Whether their shaky performance at the VNL means they can peak at exactly the right time for a return to their gold-medal-winning ways at the Tokyo Olympics is something we'll all be looking at very closely.

Full Olympic roster for Russia, under Finnish head coach Tuomas Sammelvuo:

● Setters:
Igor Kobzar, Pavel Pankov

● Opposites:
Maxim Mikhaylov, Victor Poletaev

● Middle blockers:
Artem Volvich, Ilyas Kurkaev, Ivan Yakovlev

● Outside hitters:
Denis Bogdan, Dmitriy Volkov, Egor Kliuka, Yaroslav Podlesnykh

● Libero:
Valentin Golubev