Paris Olympics on channels 26.7.–11.8. Go to the competition website here. You can find the entire program of the games here.
PARIS. On Saturday evening, the Canadian men’s volleyball practice in the training hall in southern Paris was followed by a stern-looking and still hollow-cheeked ascetic coach familiar to Finns.
Tuomas Sammelvuo coached Canada’s 12-nation Olympic qualification tournament in China. There, the sun shone for Poland and Canada, which are among the pre-favorites in Paris, just before Argentina.
In Tokyo, Sammelvuo coached the super-strong, now out-of-form Russia a few balls away from the gold medal. Now expectations are moderate; a further place among Slovenia, France and Serbia would be quite a blow. Canada’s work begins on Sunday night against Slovenia.
– I didn’t expect anything from the draw. You can’t get an easy block here, Sammelvuo laughs after training.
In the Hall of Fame entourage
He admits that it doesn’t seem funny to be in the same company as his coaching colleagues at the Paris Games Karch Kiraly, Nikola Grbic, Andrea Gianni or Bernardo Rezende – a group at the Hall of fame level of the mega-genre, to which Sammelvuo almost belongs. During the tournament, Sammelvuot has also been sparred by Finland’s former head coach Mauro Berruto.
Sammelvuo was the star player of his national team in his time.
During the exercises, Sammelvuo cannot be described as relaxed. The expression is tense, the feedback tight and immediate and the grip even military.
– Tuomas is an incredibly focused coach. A very different person when we are not playing or training, says the team’s libero Justin Luiwhose inclusion in Canada’s Olympic team is quite a miracle considering the starting points.
Throwing bag libero
Last season, his first as a professional, Lui played in the Vantaa Ducks of the Finnish premier league, who were a throwaway and voluntarily dropped down the league level at the end of the season. However, the Ontario native, who will continue his career in the Czech Republic next season, praises that the good basic level of the series and the extra help given by the coach kept him in shape according to Olympic standards and the place was released.
– I loved our team and Finland. Teammates come to Paris to watch my games.
Before arriving in Finland, Lui, 24, played volleyball and completed an academic degree at the top American university Stanford, where he did not enjoy a full sports scholarship.
Libero’s story is an excellent example of what kind of coaching both as a player and as a coach Sammelvuo, who won the Champions League, has once again been able to do.
“Quite a delay”
Canada is a very strong and the USA a super strong volleyball country, despite the fact that neither country has a professional league in the sport at all and the players are stuck at their universities for a long time.
– There will be quite a delay in your career when you can sign your first professional contract at the age of 23 and moving to Europe is practically mandatory. For example, the Italian team here in Paris has two twenty-something boys in really big roles. And they are not the only examples, says head coach Sammelvuo.
The base of the Canadian Volleyball Association is near Ottawa on the side of the province of Quebec. Compared to that, for example, the sports conditions in Kuortane are paradise.
– My contract with Canada extends until the Olympic Games in Los Angeles (2028), but I need to talk to the Canadian Olympic Committee about circumstances before then. We won’t have the resources of Italy or Poland, but we must be able to improve. Of course, the Olympic Committee is considering whether we should be made a so-called priority team.
Canada will be represented in Paris by no fewer than nine teams in different team sports.
Sammelvuo’s national team record is third after Finland (2013–19) and Russia (2019–22). Sammelvuo says that he still keeps in touch with his players from his time in Russia. The level in Russia has dropped.
– It is clear when there is no international contact and measuring stick and the best foreign players no longer want to go there.
The first firings
Last season, Sammelvuo also experienced a completely new experience for himself: the firing of the Polish Zaksa Kedrierzyn-Kozle, whom he coached to win the Champions League in 2022-2023. It didn’t take long to be on the free market: now Sammelvuo is the head coach of Asseco Resovia Rzeszow in the Polish premier league. There are players from the club in Paris in both Slovenian and Polish teams.
– Typically considered a very famous team, but has not won, Sammelvuo describes in one sentence the expectations heaped on him by both the club and the club management.
Preparation for the season is already underway in Poland. Sammelvuo joins after finishing his Olympic career.
Canadians and Finns have always been known to get along with each other, down to their shared favorite sport, ice hockey. Sammelvuo confirms this.
– The easiest team I’ve ever coached.
Sammelvuo’s coach Canada will face Slovenia in their opening match of the Olympic Games on Sunday evening. The match is live in Areena from 22:15 and on TV2 from 22:20.