The Olympic Games, held every four years, feature a diverse array of sports – including the exhilarating and highly competitive discipline of beach volleyball.
Introduced to the Olympics in 1996, beach volleyball has quickly become a fan favourite, and is known for its dynamic gameplay, intense rallies, and the unique challenges posed by playing on sand.
As we head towards the Paris 2024 Olympics, here’s everything you need to know about the Australian beach volleyball team.
How is Australia doing at the Paris 2024 Olympics in beach volleyball?
Women’s Game 1: Australia vs China (Day Two)
Australia’s Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho Del Solar won an exciting three-set match against China’s Xue Chen and Xia Xinyi in the Paris 2024 Olympics beach volleyball opener.
Playing under the Eiffel Tower, the Australians, who won silver in Tokyo 2020, edged out the Chinese team 2-1 (22-20, 14-21, 16-14). Clancy and Mariafe’s strong spikes were key, with Mariafe scoring 21 points and Clancy 20. The Aussies will face the USA’s Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss on Monday.
Men’s Game 1: Australia vs Sweden (Day Two)
Australia’s Izac Carracher and Mark Nicolaidis put up a tough fight against the World No. 1 team, David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig of Sweden. The match saw the Swedish stars taking an early lead. Although Åhman and Hellvig controlled the pace for most of the game, the Australians rallied in the second set, closing the gap to 20-19. However, a service error by Nicolaidis handed the Swedes the win, securing their straight-sets victory in this competitive showdown.
Does the Olympics have beach volleyball?
Yes! The sport made its official Olympic debut at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Who’s on the Australian Olympics team for beach volleyball this year?
- Taliqua Clancy (women’s)
- Mariafe Artacho del Solar (women’s)
- Thomas Hodges (men’s)
- Zachery Schubert (men’s)
How many Olympic medals has Australia won previously for beach volleyball?
Australia has won 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze medal for beach volleyball.
Kerri Pottharst and Natalie Cook won Bronze at the Atlanta 1996 Games. They then won Gold at the 2000 Sydney Games.
Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar won Silver at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
How do you qualify for beach volleyball at the Olympics?
Qualifying for beach volleyball at the Olympics involves a combination of world rankings, continental qualifications, and host country privileges. Here’s a concise breakdown:
- World Rankings: The primary path to Olympic qualification is through the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) World Rankings. Teams accumulate points by participating in FIVB-sanctioned events, including World Championships, World Tour events, and Continental Tour events. The higher a team’s ranking, the better their chance of qualifying. For the Olympics, the top 15 ranked teams per gender as of a specified cutoff date secure their spots.
- Continental Cup: Each of the five continental confederations (Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, and North, Central America, and Caribbean) holds a Continental Cup. The winning team from each confederation earns a direct entry to the Olympics. This ensures regional representation in the competition.
- World Cup Finals: In addition to the Continental Cup, the FIVB also organises the World Cup Finals, where additional Olympic spots are contested. The top two teams from this event (if not already qualified) gain entry to the Olympics.
- Host Country: The host country automatically qualifies one team per gender. So this year, because France are hosting, they are guaranteed a place for both their men’s and women’s teams.
- Wild Card Entries: Occasionally, wild card entries are granted at the discretion of the organising bodies to ensure broad and inclusive participation, though this is less common.
