Lucarelli on what it takes to be an Olympic champion

“Hard work,” Brazil outside hitter Ricardo Lucarelli said on the key to success at the Olympic Games.

“To be an Olympic champion you need to work hard and have a great mentality so that you get better all the time. In the team, we are all hard workers.”

Lucarelli played his Olympic debut at home Games in Rio de Janeiro and went on to win the gold medal in front of cheering fans, with five of his current teammates.

That moment at Rio 2016 is something these veterans want to replicate with their new teammates. And they want to achieve the dream in honour of their supporters.

“That gold medal moment was the best feeling in my life as a professional athlete and I want to feel it again,” Lucarelli stated.

“It’s really hard to accomplish, but this is what we are trying to do in training and competition. And for sure, when we achieve that, it will be amazing. Whenever we wear this Brazilian jersey, the dream is to win and represent our country well. Our fans in Brazil always cheer for us, so we must give back. Being here at the Olympic Games is a dream that we share with everybody.”

Brazil’s match with Argentina on Monday night felt like a final as the reigning Olympic champions bounced back from a two-set deficit. After trailing their South American rivals in the last two sets, Brazil twice wiped out their opponents' lead to win.

“That fifth set felt like a final as we won 16-14. It was really a tough game. We had an amazing comeback, and it was not easy to recover from two sets down. We are really happy and proud of this win,” said Lucarelli.

“To come back in the match when you’re down 2-0 is amazing. Every win counts and it was particularly special because everyone played their part until the end to win.”

Quick links:
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - Volleyball
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - Volleyball - Match schedule
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