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 a silver medal at the 2022 World Championship and the 2021 Polish Champion title with Jastrzębski Węgiel.[1]

Tomasz Fornal
Personal information
NationalityPolish
Born (1997-08-31) 31 August 1997
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
FIVB World Championship
Silver medal – second place2022 Poland/Slovenia
FIVB Nations League
Gold medal – first place2023 Gdańsk
Silver medal – second place2021 Rimini
Bronze medal – third place2019 Chicago
Bronze medal – third place2022 Bologna
CEV European Championship
Gold medal – first place2023 Italy/Bulgaria/North Macedonia/Israel
Bronze medal – third place2021 Poland/Czechia/Estonia/Finland

Career

Junior career

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

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

On 12 April 2015, the Polish national team, including Fornal, won a title of the U19 European Champions. 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 achieved a gold medal after the final match with Bulgaria (3–0). On 23 August 2015, Poland achieved its first title of the U19 World Champions. In the final his team beat hosts – Argentina (3–2).[10]

On 10 September 2016, he achieved a title of the U20 European Champion after winning 7 out of 7 matches at the tournament, and beating Ukraine in the final (3–1).[11] On 2 July 2017, Poland, including Fornal, achieved a title of the U21 World Champions 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 bronze medal with the national team at the 2022 FIVB Nations League in Bologna, Italy.[15][16] The same year, he won silver medal at the 2022 FIVB World Championship jointly held in Poland and Slovenia losing in the final to Italy 1–3.[17] [18]

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

Personal life

His father, Marek is a former volleyball player, a two–time Polish Champion (1988, 1989) with Hutnik Nowa Huta. He has an older brother, Jan.[21][22]

Honours

Club

Youth national team

Individual awards

References
  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. "Po latach Fornal znowu w Czarnych. Kiedyś grał Marek, teraz zagra Tomasz". echodnia.eu (in Polish). 25 August 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  22. "Jan Fornal. Przez Kraków do ekstraklasy". dziennikpolski24.pl (in Polish). 26 November 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  23. "Rywal zmiażdżony, tytuł zdobyty! Jastrzębski Węgiel mistrzem Polski". Przegląd Sportowy (in Polish). 10 May 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  24. Maciej Ławrynowicz (23 May 2023). "Za nami Gala Polskiej Ligi Siatkówki. Tomasz Fornal wybrany najlepszym siatkarzem sezonu". sport.tvp.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 24 May 2023.
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