Wikipedia

Tomasz Fornal

Tomasz Fornal (Polish pronunciation: [ˈtɔmaʂ ˈfɔrnal]; born 31 August 1997) is a Polish professional volleyball player who plays as an outside hitter for Jastrzębski Węgiel and the Poland national team. Fornal won silver medals at the 2024 Summer Olympics and the 2022 World Championship as well as the 2021 Polish Champion title with Jastrzębski Węgiel.[1]

Tomasz Fornal
Fornal in 2024
Personal information
Born (1997-08-31) 31 August 1997 (age 27)
Kraków, Poland
Height2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)
Weight92 kg (203 lb)
Spike348 cm (137 in)
Volleyball information
PositionOutside hitter
Current clubJastrzębski Węgiel
Number21
Career
YearsTeams
2016–2019
2019–		Czarni Radom
Jastrzębski Węgiel
National team
2018– Poland
Honours
Men's volleyball
Representing  Poland
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2024 Paris Team
FIVB World Championship
Silver medal – second place 2022 Poland/Slovenia
FIVB Nations League
Gold medal – first place 2023 Gdańsk
Silver medal – second place 2021 Rimini
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Chicago
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Bologna
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Łódź
CEV European Championship
Gold medal – first place 2023 Italy/Bulgaria/North Macedonia/Israel
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Poland/Czechia/Estonia/Finland

Career

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Junior career

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He started playing volleyball at the 22 UKS (Students' Sport Club) run by the Elementary School No. 155 in Kraków. He then represented Hutnik Dobry Wynik volleyball club while attending Junior High School No. 46 in Kraków. He subsequently entered the youth squad of PGE Skra Bełchatów and won bronze medal at the Polish Junior Championships with the team.[2]

Senior career

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In 2016, he made his debut in PlusLiga, Poland's highest level professional volleyball league, by joining Czarni Radom.[3] In 2019, he changed his club and joined Jastrzębski Węgiel[4] with which he won the 2021 Polish Championship[5] and the 2022 Polish SuperCup.[6] In 2023, he won silver medal with Jastrzębski Węgiel in the 2022–23 CEV Champions League losing to ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle in the first ever all-Polish Champions League final.[7]

National team

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On 12 April 2015, the Poland, including Fornal, won the U19 European Champions title. They beat Italy in the final (3–1).[8][9] He took part in the 2015 European Youth Olympic Festival, and on 1 August 2015 won the tournament after beating Bulgaria in the final (3–0). On 23 August 2015, Poland won their first title of the U19 World Champions. In the final his team beat hosts – Argentina (3–2).[10]

On 10 September 2016, he won the U20 European Champion title after winning 7 of 7 matches at the tournament, and beating Ukraine in the final (3–1).[11] On 2 July 2017, Poland, including Fornal, won the U21 World Champions title after beating Cuba in the final (3–0).[12][13] His national team won 47 matches in the row and never lost.[14]

In 2022, he won a bronze medal with the national team at the 2022 Nations League held in Bologna, Italy.[15][16] The same year, he won a silver medal at the 2022 World Championship jointly held in Poland and Slovenia, losing in the final to Italy (1–3).[17][18]

In July 2023, he won a gold medal with his national team at the 2023 Nations League, defeating United States 3–1 in the final.[19] In September 2023, he won a gold medal at the 2023 European Championship, defeating the reigning World Champions Italy in the final (3–0).[20]

In August 2024, he won the silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.[21]

Personal life

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His father, Marek, is a former volleyball player, a two–time Polish Champion (1988, 1989) with Hutnik Nowa Huta while his mother, Dorota, is a PE teacher. He has an older brother, Jan.[22][23][24]

In 2024, he was involved in the 32nd edition of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity. The winner of the charity auction was given an opportunity to go to Jastrzębie-Zdrój and take part in a training session with his team as well as go for a dinner with the player.[25]

Honours

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Club

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Youth national team

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Individual awards

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State awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Fantastic Italy regain world title after 24 years". volleyballworld.com. 11 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Tomasz Fornal w Jastrzębskim Węglu" (in Polish). Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Tomasz Fornal zawodnikiem Czarnych Radom!" (in Polish). Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Tomasz Fornal w Jastrzębskim Węglu" (in Polish). Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  5. ^ "Tomasz Fornal po zdobyciu mistrzostwa Polski: Możemy być potęgą na lata" (in Polish). Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  6. ^ "Siatkarze z Jastrzębia zgarnęli Superpuchar. Tomasz Fornal MVP" (in Polish). Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  7. ^ "Volleyball: Poland's Zaksa win Champions League in all-Polish final". polskieradio.pl. 21 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  8. ^ "ME kadetów: Ogromny sukces reprezentacji Polski! Jest złoto!". sportowefakty.wp.pl (in Polish). 12 April 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  9. ^ "Poland crown fabulous campaign with gold, Italy and Turkey complete podium". CEV. 12 April 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  10. ^ "History rewritten for Poland as they grab first ever Boys' U19 gold medal". fivb.com. 24 August 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  11. ^ "Poland triumph with U20 European gold in Plovdiv". CEV. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Poland shut out Cuba to triumph with U21 World Championship gold!". fivb.com. 2 July 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Great generation of Polish players celebrate time together with U21 world title". fivb.com. 2 July 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  14. ^ "47 games without losing! I am so proud of these boys – coach Pawlik". fivb.com. 2 July 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  15. ^ "Volleyball: Poles win bronze in Nations League". Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  16. ^ "Totalna demolka. Tomasz Fornal odmienił mecz" (in Polish). Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  17. ^ "PM meets Poland's silver-winning volleyball team". Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  18. ^ "Tomasz Fornal zdradził, jak siatkarze spędzili wieczór po finale mistrzostw świata. Wspaniałe słowa przyjmującego na temat Bartosza Kurka" (in Polish). Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  19. ^ Alex Webber (24 July 2023). "Good work lads! Men's volleyball team WINS the VNL tournament for first time". thefirstnews.com. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  20. ^ "Poland Clinches Gold in 2023 European Volleyball Championship". instavolley.com. 17 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  21. ^ "Poland claim Olympic silver in men's volleyball". polskieradio.pl. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  22. ^ "Po latach Fornal znowu w Czarnych. Kiedyś grał Marek, teraz zagra Tomasz". echodnia.eu (in Polish). 25 August 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  23. ^ "Jan Fornal. Przez Kraków do ekstraklasy". dziennikpolski24.pl (in Polish). 26 November 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  24. ^ Waldemar Kowalski (27 February 2024). "Wielu nie da wiary, czym zajmuje się mama Tomasza Fornala. Takim zawodem może pochwalić się Dorota Fornal, ma ważną rolę". sport.se.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  25. ^ "Polska siatkówka gra z Wielką Orkiestrą Świątecznej Pomocy!". siatka.org (in Polish). 25 January 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  26. ^ "Rywal zmiażdżony, tytuł zdobyty! Jastrzębski Węgiel mistrzem Polski". Przegląd Sportowy (in Polish). 10 May 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  27. ^ Maciej Ławrynowicz (23 May 2023). "Za nami Gala Polskiej Ligi Siatkówki. Tomasz Fornal wybrany najlepszym siatkarzem sezonu". TVP Sport (in Polish). Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  28. ^ "Uroczystość wręczenia odznaczeń medalistom oraz trenerom Igrzysk XXXIII Olimpiady Paryż 2024". prezydent.pl (in Polish). 9 September 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
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