Yugoslavia, playing giant-killers to the finish, destroyed Russia, newly ranked as world No 1 in straight sets today to win the Olympic men’s gold medal for the first time.
In a high-powered 68-minute final, Yugoslavia won 25-22, 25-22, 25-20 and condemned the Russia men to the same fate as their women, who had to settle for a silver medal behind Cuba.
Zoran Gajic, the Yugoslavia coach, admitted the reality of winning gold had not yet registered.
“I’m still not aware of how I’m feeling, but I know I feel happy,” Gajic said. “People have been fighting for the gold for the past 3,000 years in Olympics. I feel it was a very good goal for us.”
Like a shooting gallery, Yugoslavia picked off the holders of volleyball’s three top honours in successive matches. The Yugoslavs eliminated The Netherlands, the defending Olympic champions, in the quarter-finals, triple world champions Italy in the semi-finals and World Cup leader Russia for gold.
The 1996 bronze medal-winners succeeded on all fronts against the fancied Russians, with superior blocking, defending and attacking. Vladimir Grbic and hard-serving Goran Vujevic showed why they are rated among the world’s premier hitters, demolishing Russian blocker Alexei Kazakov, the tournament’s tallest player at 2.17m.
Nikola Grbic, the Yugoslavia captain and setter, maintained a constant flow of ammunition which brother Vladimir and Ivan Miljkovic gratefully accepted.
“I think I will be the happiest man in the world when I return to my country,” Nikola Grbic said.“It’s 7 in the morning there but everyone’s on their feet."
The Yugoslavs trailed the first set 21-20 but took the final three points, equalising on Vladimir Grbic’s spike and winning on an off-target spike from Serguei Tetioukhine.
Yugoslavia squandered a 10-5 lead and the Russians levelled set two at 17-17, but the Yugoslavs stood firm and Vujovic finished off the Russians with a 117kph ace.
In the final set, Vladimir Grbic produced match point with a spike and Ivan Miljkovic’s 19th point was the medal-winning kill.
Italy, dethroned as world No 1 by Russia, salvaged a bronze medal by defeating Argentina 25-16, 25-15, 25-18.
The bronze decider lasted only 58 minutes as Italy’s outside hitters Andrea Sartoretti and Simone Rosalba swamped the South Americans.
Argentina captain Marcos Milinkovic, easily the tournament’s leading scorer, was restricted to only six points.
