Canada secure Rio volleyball berth with 3-2 win over China
Poland down Australia
TOKYO, June 5, (AP): Canada beat China 3-2 on Sunday to secure the final Olympic berth at a men’s volleyball qualification tournament.
Gordon Perrin scored 27 points and Gavin Schmitt added 23 to lead Canada to a 25-16, 20-25, 24-26, 2520, 15-9 win at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
Canada finished fourth with a 4-3 record and clinched its first Olympic berth in 24 years when world champions Poland defeated Australia 3-0. Australia finished in fifth place with a 3-4 record.
Poland, Iran and France had previously booked their spots in the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The round robin tournament featured eight teams. The top-ranked Asian team and the top three ranked teams, four in total, qualified for the Rio Games.
Earlier, France beat Venezuela 3-2 on Saturday to clinch an Olympic berth at a men’s volleyball qualification tournament.
Antonin Rouzier scored 17 points to lead France to a 25-21, 23-25, 2511, 20-25, 15-9 win at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
Iran also qualified with a 3-1 win over Poland which had already secured a berth in the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The top three teams plus the highest-ranked Asian team qualify for the Olympics. As Iran qualifies from Asia, the team that finishes fourth will also book an Olympic berth.
Australia beat China 3-1 and still has a chance to qualify as well as Canada which rallied from a set down to beat Japan 3-1.