With team captain Bartosz Kurek still sidelined, World No. 1 Poland leaned on Wilfredo Leon to secure a bronze medal, outlasting Czechia in four sets, 25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21, in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Leon, who fired 11 points in the opening set, saved his best for last, finishing with 26 markers built on 23 attacks and three blocks.
The Cuban-born outside hitter powered the Poles as they bounced back from their semifinal loss to defending champion and World No. 2 Italy the day before, showing composure to close their campaign on a winning note.
“Special, and not special, because I prepared myself to win the gold medal. Unfortunately, this time it didn’t arrive. I won a bronze medal with a very good fight, so I’m happy with that side, but not happy at all that we didn’t catch the gold medal,” Leon said.
Aside from a second-set collapse — where they blew a 15-11 lead and allowed the Czechs to rally and level the match at 1-1 — Poland largely dictated the pace. They held firm in the final two sets, keeping their opponents at bay to secure the bronze.
The reigning VNL champions relied on a timely performance from Szymon Jakubiszak, who helped stretch a slim 22-21 lead into a 24-21 cushion in the third set. Though Tomasz Fornal’s service error momentarily gave Czechia life, Leon responded with a powerful spike to seal the frame.
Czechia continued to fight in the fourth set, keeping the score close until Fornal, Marcin Komenda, Jakubiszak, Kewin Sasak, and Leon sparked an 8-3 run that pushed Poland ahead, 15-10 — a lead they never relinquished.
The victory marked Poland’s fourth straight podium finish and their first-ever bronze at the World Championship, adding to their golds in 1974 (Mexico), 2014 (Poland), and 2018 (Italy/Bulgaria), as well as silver medals in 2006 (Japan) and 2022 (Poland/Slovenia).
Komenda steered the offense with 36 excellent sets, while Sasak chipped in 11 points on eight attacks and three aces. Jakubiszak and Kamil Semeniuk also contributed nine and six points, respectively.
“Maybe for now we still are a little bit sad about yesterday, that we didn’t go to the final. It was our objective in this tournament. But I think after a few days, when we’re back home and when we also start the season in the club, for sure we will be proud of this medal, because a medal is a medal,” Semeniuk said.
Meanwhile, Czechia capped its impressive campaign with a fourth-place finish, matching its previous best when it reached the semifinals on home soil in 1970.
Luka Vasina led the Czechs with 19 points, while Patrik Indra and Antonin Klimes added 11 and nine, respectively.