Poland’s Cuban-born star outside hitter Wilfredo Leon proved an excellent replacement for injured Tomasz Fornal in this match. Leon was the best scorer of the gold medal showdown with 16 points to his name, including a kill block. His cross-court teammate Kamil Semeniuk added another 14, including a block and an ace, while middle blocker and captain Jakub Kochanowski shined with a 71% success rate in attack and two kill blocks towards a total of seven points. Outside Daniele Lavia was the only Italian player to reach the double digits with 11 points. His tally featured two blocks and an ace.
“This means a lot! I know that they were waiting for my comeback to play at a high level, so I tried to do my best. I told them, ‘I will not leave you alone, guys! Fornal got injured, but I will be there!’ I did my best! So, we got the gold medal and I am really happy and proud!” Wilfredo Leon told VBTV after the awarding ceremony. “We have so many stars, but we try to be together as much as possible. We understand each other, we support each other, and this is the key to our success. Also, I want to thank my family! They give me a lot of support. At the World Championship, I expect to have more games like today and another trophy. Continue watching our games and support Poland!”