With the volleyball tournament at Tokyo 2020 now in full swing, we look at some of the numbers that highlight the history of the sport at the Olympic Games. The event in Japan runs until August 8 when the women's final will be played at the Ariake Arena, one day after the men's final takes place.
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - Volleyball
Volleyball at the Olympics by the numbers
Published 06:55, 31 Jul 2021
Japanese team possessed exceptional resilience and determination. Photo credit- JVA
241 - Italy defeated Yugoslavia 25-19, 19-25, 25-22, 31-33, 22-20 in the men's tournament in 2000, the longest volleyball match in Olympic history in terms of points played (241).
109 - The Brazilian men's team have played a record 109 volleyball matches at the Olympic Games (including four so far at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics).
40-38 - Italy and Argentina played the longest set in a volleyball match at the Olympic Games in the men's tournament in 2000. Italy won the match 3-0, including a first set by 40-38.
40 - Sergio Santos is the oldest Olympic Games medallist in volleyball after he won gold with the Brazilian men's team at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 aged 40.
Sergio Santos (BRA)
15 - Brazil are making their 15th appearance in the volleyball tournament at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, while also being the only National Olympic Committee to have participated all 15 times the sport has been contested.
12 - The Soviet Union claimed a record 12 Olympic medals in volleyball, including a record seven gold (four silver and one bronze).
6 - Japan (two gold, two silver and two bronze) share the record for most Olympic medals won in the women's tournament, alongside China (three gold, one silver and two bronze) and Soviet Union (four gold and two silver).
Japan were bronze medallists at London 2012
2 - Number of times a National Olympic Committee has won the men's and women's tournament in the same year (Soviet Union in 1968 and in 1980).
Statistics provided by Gracenote Sports