Toniutti and Ngapeth lead France’s twelve for Tokyo

France have announced their squad of 12 players to represent the country at the upcoming Olympic men’s volleyball tournament at Tokyo 2020. For half of them, Benjamin Toniutti, Earvin Ngapeth, Jenia Grebennikov, Kevin Tillie, Nicolas Le Goff and Trevor Clevenot, it will be a second Olympic appearance, after their participation at Rio 2016 five years ago.

Coach Laurent Tillie made his decision on the last remaining question concerning his selection for the big event of the year, before announcing his final choice to the players on the premises of the FIVB Volleyball Nations League in Rimini. He had to narrow down the number of outside hitters to four. In addition to Julien Lyneel, who departed for medical reason, coach Tillie released Thibault Rossard and kept Ngapeth, Tillie, Clevenot and Yacine Louati in that position.

The six players who will make their Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 are Antoine Brizard, Barthelemy Chinenyeze, Daryl Bultor, Jean Patry, Stephen Boyer and Yacine Louati.

France will play their remaining VNL matches in Italy with Mousse Gueye and Benjamin Diez, in addition to the 12 chosen Olympians, on the roster. The team will travel to Japan on July 4 to continue their preparations and play a friendly game with Iran in Okinawa before settling in the Olympic village in Tokyo on July 19, five days before their opening match of the tournament against USA.

France’s Olympic roster

Setters:

Antoine Brizard, Benjamin Toniutti

Opposites:

Jean Patry, Stephen Boyer

Outside hitters:

Earvin Ngapeth, Kevin Tillie, Trevor Clevenot, Yacine Louati

Middle blockers:

Barthelemy Chinenyeze, Daryl Bultor, Nicolas Le Goff

Libero:

Jenia Grebennikov