Velasco to coach Italy's women's volleyball team 'till 2028'

(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 24 - Julio Velasco, head coach of the Italian women's volleyball team that won a historic first Olympic gold medal in Paris last August, said Thursday that his tenure will last until the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
    "Yes, I feel like I still have the eyes of the tiger, I will stay until Los Angeles 2028", Velasco told the Casa Italia program of Rai Italia, when asked whether he would be renewing his contract as head coach of the national team.
    The Argentine born coach, 72, famously fell just short with the men's 'team of the century' at Atlanta in 1996 before winning an historic gold with the women's team on August 11.
    The women's volleyball team won Italy's first Olympic gold medal in Paris after beating reigning champions USA in three sets in another dominant performance from the Azzurre, who lost a record just one set throughout their Paris matches, led by longtime standout Paola Egonu.
    Velasco started training the team at the beginning of the year, just a few months prior to the Olympics, after replacing as head coach Davide Mazzanti following a negative spell for the team.
    (ANSA).