A problem that has long afflicted Canadian sides in Summer Olympic team sports, came back to haunt in searing fashion Sunday.
Captain Fred Winters of Victoria was one win away from achieving a lifetime goal and playing in the Olympics. But world No. 15 Cuba swept No. 10 sa国际传媒 25-15, 25-21, 25-21 in stunning fashion on Canadian homecourt in the final of the men鈥檚 volleyball North/Central American and Caribbean qualifier for the 2016 Rio Summer Games at a packed Saville Sports Centre in Edmonton. The victory gave Cuba the lone regional berth into the Rio Olympics. sa国际传媒 came into the final brimming with confidence after having beaten Cuba in the NORCECA pre-qualifying round last fall.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 perform under pressure,鈥� said Winters, by phone from Edmonton.
鈥淭here was a lot of pressure on us and we folded under that pressure. We鈥檝e beaten Cuba before. This was the best they鈥檝e played against us by far.鈥�
The 33-year-old Winters and his national teammates get a last chance at Rio 鈥� but it鈥檚 a much tougher route 鈥� through the at-large world Olympic qualifier in Japan in May.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be difficult in Japan with strong teams from around the world,鈥� admitted Winters.
鈥淲e have to find a way to play better under pressure. Maybe being in Japan will be better for us . . . away from homecourt and under less scrutiny and less pressure. We have to forget about this one as quickly as we can and regroup for another run at Rio.鈥�
Winters is chasing his first Olympic berth after failed attempts in three previous cycles. Overall, sa国际传媒 hasn鈥檛 been to the Olympics in men鈥檚 volleyball since 1992 at Barcelona.
The men鈥檚 volleyball upset Sunday follows performances at Rio regional qualifiers in which sa国际传媒 lost deciding games in men鈥檚 sevens rugby (to the U.S.) and men鈥檚 basketball (to Venezuela). The Langford-based men鈥檚 rugby sevens team has its last-chance at-large Olympic world qualifier June 18-19 in Monaco, while national-team GM Steve Nash鈥檚 Golden Generation of Canadian NBA players will get their last-chance Rio qualifier July 5-10 at a venue to be announced next Tuesday.
The London 2012 bronze-medallist Canadian women鈥檚 soccer team plays its CONCACAF Rio 2016 qualifier Feb. 11-21 in Texas. The women鈥檚 soccer bronze was the first medal won by sa国际传媒 in a team sport at the Summer Olympics since 1936 in Berlin when Victoria players Doug Peden and Art and Chuck Chapman won silver in basketball.
Sport sa国际传媒 studied the issue and has tried to address it the past six years by earmarking $6 million annually of Own the Podium funding specifically to Summer Olympic team sports.
The men鈥檚 field hockey players, women鈥檚 basketball squad and the Langford-based women鈥檚 rugby sevens are the Canadian programs that have so far qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics in team sports.
sa国际传媒 opened its men鈥檚 volleyball NORCECA qualifier in Edmonton with wins over No. 24 Mexico and No. 22 Puerto Rico. At his age, and now role-player status, Winters knew the career stakes. It鈥檚 been a long journey after being introduced to the sport at 15 in the Victoria Volleyball Association before starring at Royal Oak Middle School, Claremont Secondary and Pepperdine of the NCAA.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely now or never for me,鈥� he said, on the eve of the NORCECA Olympic qualifier.
Following the loss to Cuba on Sunday, Winters said: 鈥淭his was a very disappointing result.鈥�
He has been there before. Winters and Oak Bay High grad Josh Howatson came within one game of getting to the 2012 London Olympics but sa国际传媒 lost that NORCECA qualifying final four years ago to the U.S. in Long Beach, California.
Meanwhile, dreams of Rio ended over the weekend for women鈥檚 national volleyball team star hitter Shanice Marcelle of Victoria. World No. 17 sa国际传媒 finished 0-3 in the NORCECA Olympic tournament in Lincoln, Nebraska, and was eliminated from advancing to any 2016 last-chance world qualifiers.
