Beach volleyball at the Summer Olympics | |
---|---|
IOC Discipline Code | VBV |
Governing body | FIVB |
Events | 2 (men: 1; women: 1) |
Games | |
| |
Beach volleyball was introduced at the Summer Olympic Games in the 1992 Games as a demonstration event, and has been an official Olympic sport since 1996. The United States is the only country to win medals in every edition.
Winning the Olympics is considered to be the highest honor in international beach volleyball, followed by the World Championships, and the World Tour of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) for men and women.
Beach volleyball was a demonstration sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, at which Sinjin Smith and Randy Stoklos won the men's tournament, and Karolyn Kirby and Nancy Reno won the women's.
Beach volleyball was introduced as an official Olympic sport in 1996. A total of 24 teams take part in each beach volleyball Olympic tournament. Teams qualify on the basis of their performance in FIVB (Fédération Internationale de Volleyball) events over the course of about 18 months before the Olympic Games. There is a limit of two teams per country, and one spot apiece is reserved for the host country and a randomly chosen wild-card country. In the event that any Olympic region is not represented, the highest ranked team from that continent qualifies for the tournament.
The men's tournament has had a constant number of teams, with 24 couples in each edition.
In the first tournament, played in the 1996 Olympics, the matches were played at "Atlanta Beach" in Jonesboro, Georgia. The winners of the semifinals played for the gold and silver medals. The losers of the semifinal played for third and fourth places. The final was contested between the Americans Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes versus Mike Dodd and Mike Whitmarsh. Kiraly is so far the only person with Olympic medals in both indoor and beach volleyball since he had won the gold medal indoors in the tournament of 1984 as well as 1988 in Seoul, South Korea.
The beach volleyball tournament of 2000 was played in Bondi Beach, a suburb of Sydney. The winners were again an American team, Blanton/Fonoimoana, defeating Brazilians Zé Marco/Ricardo (the former had competed in Atlanta) in the finals.
In the 2004 Summer Olympics the tournament was held in the Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex, in Athens, Greece. The Brazilians Emanuel/Ricardo (the former being a veteran of two Olympics, and the latter a silver medalist in 2000) won the gold medal, defeating Bosma and Herrera of Spain.
The beach volleyball tournament of 2008 was carried out at the Beach Volleyball Ground, located in the Chaoyang Park in Beijing. In an upset, reigning champions Emanuel and Ricardo were defeated by their compatriots Márcio Araújo (who competed in Athens) and Fábio Luiz in the semifinal, having to settle for the bronze (where they beat two Brazilians competing for Georgia). The Brazilian victors were then defeated by Americans Rogers and Dalhausser in the final.
The 2012 tournament was played at the Horse Guards Parade in London. Emanuel Rego, now paired with Alison Cerutti, got his third straight medal, completing the three podium colors, by reaching the finals, where he lost to Germans Brink and Reckermann. Mārtiņš Pļaviņš and Jānis Šmēdiņš from Latvia got the bronze.
After 16 years, the 2016 tournament again was held in an actual beach, Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. Alison Cerutti, now partnered with Bruno Schmidt, returned to the finals, and won the gold beating Daniele Lupo and Paolo Nicolai of Italy in the finals. The Dutch Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen completed the podium.
The 2020 Olympics, held in 2021 after a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, had beach volleyball at Shiokaze Park. Norwegians Anders Mol and Christian Sørum won gold, beating in the final Russians Viacheslav Krasilnikov, who had finished 2016 in fourth place, and Oleg Stoyanovskiy. Brazil missed not only the finals but the podium as a whole for the first time since the inaugural tournament, both pairs eliminated by eventual fourth place team Mārtiņš Pļaviņš and Edgars Točs.
In Atlanta, Georgia, in 1996, there were eighteen teams entered, and the championship match was played between two Brazilian teams: Jackie Silva and Sandra Pires versus Mônica Rodrigues and Adriana Samuel. The Australians Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst edged out the Americans for the bronze medal.
At the Sydney Olympics of 2000, the number of teams was increased to 24. One of the two Australian teams, Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst, won the gold medal over the Brazilians Adriana Behar and Shelda Bede, four years after winning the bronze medal in Atlanta. Another Brazilian team, featuring 1996 champion Sandra Pires and runner-up Adriana Samuel, edged out the Japanese for the bronze medal.
Behar and Bede of Brazil avenged the 2000 defeat by beating Natalie Cook (now partnered with Nicole Sanderson) in the 2004 semifinal to return to the final match, but they were defeated by Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh of the United States. Both May-Treanor and Walsh were veterans of the Sydney Olympics, but Walsh had been part of the American indoor team. Another American team, Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs (the former in her third tournament, having been fourth in Atlanta), defeated the Australian team for the bronze medal.
In 2008 in China, May-Treanor and Walsh (now going by her married name of Walsh Jennings) were victorious again by defeating the Chinese team of Tian Jia and Wang Jie in the finals. Another Chinese team won the bronze medal, edging out Brazil in fourth place, and thus sending the Brazilian women home without a medal for the first time in the tournament history.
In 2012 in England May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings won for the third consecutive Olympiad by defeating the other American team of April Ross and Jennifer Kessy in the championship game. Thus the United States finished with the gold and silver medals, with Brazil winning the bronze medal, edging out China in fourth place.
The 2016 tournament in Brazil had the country return to the beach volleyball final after 12 years, with Ágatha Bednarczuk and Bárbara Seixas winning the semifinal over defending champion Walsh Jennings and London silver medalist April Ross. However, they lost the gold medal to the Germans Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst, who had also defeated the Brazilians Talita Antunes (4th in 2008) and Larissa França (bronze in 2012) in the semifinals. Talita and Larissa also lost the bronze medal to the United States, making Walsh Jennings the only player to win four beach volleyball Olympic medals. The defeat also broke a streak where every tournament had one country winning medals with both their teams: Brazil in 1996 (gold and silver) and 2000 (silver and bronze), United States in 2004 (gold and bronze) and 2012 (gold and silver), and China in 2008 (silver and bronze). There were also four teams tied for fifth place: Australia, Canada, Russia, and Switzerland, and hence seven countries were represented in the top eight teams.
The 2020 tournament in Japan had April Ross, now partnered with Alix Klineman, winning the gold in her third try, beating in the finals Australians Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar. Joana Heidrich and Anouk Vergé-Dépré of Switzerland, who had played in separate doubles in Rio, got the bronze. Brazil for the first time missed the semifinals, with at most a pair eliminated in the quarterfinals by the Swiss.
While twelve countries won medals in the male tournament, only six have done so with women. The dominating nations are Brazil and the US. Americans have the most gold medals with four. The only countries outside the six medalists (Brazil, USA, Australia, China and Germany) to reach the semifinals were Japan in 2000 and Latvia in 2020.
A double-elimination tournament was played for both men and women until a total of four teams qualified for the semifinals: the two finalist teams of the winners bracket and the two finalist teams of the elimination bracket. The men's field had 24 teams, and the women's field had 16.
Competitors were selected through a detailed Olympic qualification process which saw the participation of a total of 587 men's and women's athletes from 46 countries. Each country could qualify up to two teams - host country United States had two spots already guaranteed, with the doubles selected through Olympic Beach Trials held in Baltimore, Maryland.
Following an expansion on the women's tournament, both competitions had 24 teams. The format became single elimination, preceded by a preliminary round to define the round of 16 teams - the twelve winners of the preliminary games automatically qualified, while the twelve defeated teams played two elimination rounds to get the remaining four spots.
The teams qualify by accumulating points in FIVB Olympic Qualification Tournaments, with one of the host nation having a guaranteed berth and another having the possibility of qualifying through the ranking.
Following a FIVB change of rules in 2001, the scoring was changed from sets of 15 points in a superseded sideout system to sets of 21 points in a rally point system. [1]
The format had the 24 competing teams were split equally into six pools of four. The top two teams from each pool and the four best third placed teams progressed through to a single-elimination tournament of sixteen teams.
The qualifying added a continental quota - in the event of an unrepresented continent, the top team from that continent earned a spot.
The six pools of four format was retained, but the qualifying for third-placed teams was changed. Of the six 3rd place teams, two were directly qualified to the playoffs. Of the four remaining third placed teams, another two teams get to the playoffs through winning a lucky loser (repechage) match.
Nation | 1996 (24) | 2000 (24) | 2004 (24) | 2008 (24) | 2012 (24) | 2016 (24) | 2020 (24) | 2024 (24) | Years |
Angola | • | • | • | 19th | • | • | • | 1 | |
Argentina | 14th | 9th | 9th | 19th | • | • | 19th | 5 | |
• | 19th | • | • | • | • | • | |||
Australia | 9th | 9th | 4th | 9th | • | • | 19th | 5 | |
• | 17th | 9th | • | • | • | • | |||
Austria | • | 9th | 17th | 5th | 19th | 9th | • | 5 | |
• | • | 19th | 9th | • | 9th | • | |||
Brazil | 9th | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 5th | 7 | |
9th | 9th | 9th | 3rd | 5th | 9th | 9th | |||
Canada | 3rd | 5th | 5th | • | 17th | 9th | • | 5 | |
17th | 9th | • | • | • | 19th | • | |||
Chile | • | • | • | • | • | 19th | 9th | 2 | |
China | • | • | • | 9th | 19th | • | • | 2 | |
Cuba | 7th | • | 17th | • | • | 5th | • | 3 | |
Czech Republic | 14th | 17th | • | • | 17th | • | 19th | Q | 5 |
Estonia | 17th | • | • | 19th | • | • | • | 2 | |
France | 14th | 19th | 19th | • | • | • | • | Q | 4 |
Georgia | • | • | • | 4th | • | • | • | 1 | |
Germany | 9th | 3rd | 5th | 5th | 1st | 19th | 5th | 7 | |
• | 19th | 9th | 19th | 9th | • | • | |||
Great Britain | • | • | • | • | 19th | • | • | 1 | |
Greece | • | • | 19th | • | • | • | • | 1 | |
Indonesia | 17th | • | • | • | • | • | • | 1 | |
Italy | 14th | 19th | • | 19th | 5th | 2nd | 5th | 6 | |
• | • | • | • | • | 9th | 19th | |||
Japan | 17th | • | • | 9th | 19th | • | 19th | 4 | |
Latvia | • | • | • | 9th | 3rd | 19th | 4th | 4 | |
• | • | • | • | 9th | • | • | |||
Mexico | • | 9th | • | • | • | 9th | 9th | 3 | |
Morocco | • | • | • | • | • | • | 19th | 1 | |
Netherlands | 17th | • | • | 5th | 4th | 3rd | 9th | 5 | |
• | • | • | 17th | • | 5th | • | |||
New Zealand | 17th | • | • | • | • | • | • | 1 | |
Norway | 7th | 9th | 9th | 19th | 9th | • | 1st | 6 | |
• | 19th | 19th | • | • | • | • | |||
Poland | • | • | • | • | 5th | 17th | 9th | 3 | |
• | • | • | • | • | 17th | 17th | |||
Portugal | 4th | 4th | 9th | • | • | • | • | 3 | |
Puerto Rico | • | • | 19th | • | • | • | • | 1 | |
Qatar | • | • | • | • | • | 9th | 3rd | 2 | |
Russia | • | 9th | • | 9th | 9th | 4th | 2nd | 5 [upper-alpha 1] | |
• | • | • | • | • | 5th | 5th | |||
South Africa | • | • | 9th | • | 19th | • | • | 2 | |
Spain | 5th | 5th | 2nd | 9th | 9th | 9th | 9th | 7 | |
17th | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
Sweden | 17th | 19th | 9th | • | • | • | • | 3 | |
Switzerland | • | 5th | 3rd | 9th | 9th | • | 17th | 5 | |
• | • | 5th | 17th | 9th | • | • | |||
Tunisia | • | • | • | • | • | 19th | • | 1 | |
United States | 1st | 1st | 5th | 1st | 5th | 5th | 9th | 7 | |
2nd | 5th | 19th | 5th | 8th | 19th | 9th | |||
5th | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
Venezuela | • | • | • | • | 19h | • | • | 1 | |
Total | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 2 | 37 |
---|
Nation | 1996 (18) | 2000 (24) | 2004 (24) | 2008 (24) | 2012 (24) | 2016 (24) | 2020 (24) | 2024 (24) | Years |
Argentina | • | • | • | • | 19th | 19th | 19th | 3 | |
Australia | 3rd | 1st | 4th | 5th | 19th | 5th | 2nd | 7 | |
7th | 5th | 9th | • | 19th | 19th | • | |||
• | 17th | • | • | • | • | • | |||
Austria | • | • | • | 5th | 5th | • | • | 2 | |
Belgium | • | • | • | 9th | • | • | • | 1 | |
Brazil | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | 4th | 3rd | 2nd | 5th | 7 | |
2nd | 3rd | 5th | 5th | 9th | 4th | 9th | |||
Bulgaria | • | 17th | 9th | • | • | • | • | 2 | |
Canada | 17th | • | 5th | • | 19th | 5th | 5th | 5 | |
• | • | • | • | • | 9th | 5th | |||
China | • | 9th | 9th | 2nd | 4th | 9th | 9th | 6 | |
• | 17th | 19th | 3rd | • | • | 9th | |||
Costa Rica | • | • | • | • | • | 19th | • | 1 | |
Cuba | • | 9th | 9th | 9th | • | • | 9th | 4 | |
• | • | • | 9th | • | • | • | |||
Czech Republic | • | 9th | 9th | • | 5th | 17th | 19th | 5 | |
• | 17th | • | • | 17th | • | • | |||
Egypt | • | • | • | • | • | 19th | • | 1 | |
France | 13th | 9th | • | • | • | • | • | Q | 3 |
Georgia | • | • | • | 17th | • | • | • | 1 | |
Germany | 7th | 9th | 5th | 9th | 5th | 1st | 19th | 7 | |
• | 9th | 9th | 9th | 9th | 9th | 5th | |||
Great Britain | 9th | • | • | • | 17th | • | • | 2 | |
Greece | • | 17th | 9th | 9th | 19th | • | • | 4 | |
• | • | 9th | 19th | • | • | • | |||
Indonesia | 13th | • | • | • | • | • | • | 1 | |
Italy | 13th | 5th | 5th | • | 5th | 9th | 19th | 6 | |
• | 9th | • | • | • | • | • | |||
Japan | 5th | 4th | 17th | 19th | • | • | 17th | 5 | |
9th | 17th | • | • | • | • | • | |||
Kenya | • | • | • | • | • | • | 19th | 1 | |
Latvia | • | • | • | • | • | • | 4th | 1 | |
Mauritius | • | • | • | • | 19th | • | • | 1 | |
Mexico | 17th | 17th | 19th | 17th | • | • | • | 4 | |
Netherlands | 13th | 17th | 19th | 19th | 9th | 9th | 17th | 7 | |
• | • | • | • | 9th | 19th | 19th | |||
Norway | 9th | • | 17th | 9th | • | • | • | 3 | |
• | • | 19th | 9th | • | • | • | |||
Poland | • | • | • | • | • | 9th | • | 1 | |
Portugal | • | 9th | • | • | • | • | • | 1 | |
Russia | • | • | • | 19th | 9th | 5th | 9th | 4 [upper-alpha 1] | |
• | • | • | • | 9th | • | • | |||
South Africa | • | • | 19th | 19th | • | • | • | 2 | |
Spain | • | • | • | • | 9th | 9th | 9th | 3 | |
Switzerland | • | • | 19th | 19th | 9th | 5th | 3rd | 5 | |
• | • | • | • | • | 9th | 9th | |||
United States | 4th | 5th | 1st | 1st | 1st | 3rd | 1st | Q | 8 |
5th | 5th | 3rd | 5th | 2nd | 19th | 9th | |||
9th | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
Venezuela | • | • | • | • | • | 17th | • | 1 | |
Total | 13 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 2 | 34 |
---|
Sources: [2]
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | United States (USA) | 7 | 2 | 2 | 11 |
2 | Brazil (BRA) | 3 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
3 | Germany (GER) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
4 | Australia (AUS) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
5 | Norway (NOR) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
6 | China (CHN) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
7 | Italy (ITA) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
ROC | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
Spain (ESP) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
10 | Switzerland (SUI) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
11 | Canada (CAN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Latvia (LAT) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Netherlands (NED) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Qatar (QAT) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Totals (14 entries) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 42 |
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | United States (USA) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
2 | Brazil (BRA) | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
3 | Germany (GER) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
4 | Norway (NOR) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
5 | Italy (ITA) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
ROC | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
Spain (ESP) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
8 | Canada (CAN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Latvia (LAT) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Netherlands (NED) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Qatar (QAT) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Switzerland (SUI) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Totals (12 entries) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | United States (USA) | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
2 | Brazil (BRA) | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 |
3 | Australia (AUS) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
4 | Germany (GER) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
5 | China (CHN) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
6 | Switzerland (SUI) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Totals (6 entries) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
Brazil competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's nineteenth appearance at the Summer Olympics, excluding the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. The Brazilian Olympic Committee sent the nation's largest ever delegation in history to the Games. A total of 243 athletes, 124 men and 119 women, competed in 24 sports.
Kerri Lee Walsh Jennings is an American professional beach volleyball player, three-time Olympic gold medalist, and a one-time Olympic bronze medalist. She is the beach volleyball leader in career victories as of 2016 having won 135 international and domestic tournaments.
Misty Elizabeth May-Treanor is a retired American professional beach volleyball player. She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, and as of August 2012, was the most successful female beach volleyball player having won 112 tournaments in domestic and international competition.
Volleyball has been part of the Summer Olympics program for both men and women consistently since 1964.
Sanne Keizer is a Dutch beach volleyball player who plays as a right-side defender with her partner Madelein Meppelink. Her career highlights include two gold, two silver and four bronze medals on the FIVB World Tour. She is a two-time European Champion and she represented the Netherlands at the 2012 Summer Olympics, finishing ninth with Marleen van Iersel.
The Brazil men's national volleyball team is governed by the Confederação Brasileira de Voleibol(Brazilian Volleyball Confederation) and takes part in international volleyball competitions. Brazil has three gold medals at the Olympic Games, won the World Championship three times and the World League nine times. Brazil is ranked fifth on the FIVB World Rankings. The team is often referred to as volleyball's "Dream Team" due to its success under coach Bernardo Rezende.
Brazil sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, in August 2008. Brazilian athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1920, except the 1928 Summer Olympics. The country is represented by the Brazilian Olympic Committee. Brazil headed to the Beijing Games with its largest Olympic delegation at the time, 277 athletes, including 132 women.
Laura Ludwig-Bowes is a German professional beach volleyball player, playing as a defender. Previously forming a pair with compatriot Kira Walkenhorst, she represents Hamburger SV and has won four European championships. She won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She added another medal, Gold, at the 2016 World Tour Finals in Toronto. In 2017, she and Walkenhorst won the World Championship in Vienna.
The Canada men's national volleyball team represents Canada in international volleyball competitions. They are overseen by Volleyball Canada, the governing body for volleyball in Canada.
Georgia competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. This is a list of the results of all of the athletes who qualified for the Olympics and were nominated by Georgian National Olympic Committee. Georgia was represented in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games by 35 sportsmen and sportswomen in total of 11 different sporting events. The Games had a dramatic start for Georgia, as well as for Russia, due to the onset of the 2008 South Ossetia war at the very start of the Games. Georgian athletes won three gold, two silver, and three bronze medals during the games.
The women's beach volleyball tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was held from August 9 to August 21, at the Beach Volleyball Ground at Chaoyang Park.
The men's Olympic beach volleyball tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing took place at the Beach Volleyball Ground at Chaoyang Park from August 9 to August 22.
The women's tournament in volleyball at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held at Capital Indoor Stadium and Beijing Institute of Technology Gymnasium from 9 to 23 August 2008.
Niverka Dharlenis Marte Frica is a volleyball player from the Dominican Republic who currently plays for Indonesian side Jakarta Popsivo Polwan. She played the 2012 Summer Olympics with the Dominican Republic national team ranking in fifth place. She also played the 2010 and the 2014 World Championship earning the 17th place and the fifth place and the 2011 and the 2015 FIVB World Cup with her national team ranking in the eight and seventh place. She won the bronze medal in the 2015 Pan American Games.
April Elizabeth Ross is an American beach volleyball player and three-time Olympic medalist. She won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics with Jennifer Kessy, a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics with Kerri Walsh Jennings, and a gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics with Alix Klineman. Ross and Kessy were also the 2009 Beach Volleyball World Champions.
Brazil competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's twenty-first appearance at the Summer Olympics, having missed the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. The Brazilian Olympic Committee sent a total of 258 athletes to the Games, 136 men and 122 women, to compete in 24 sports. Brazil left London with a total of 17 Olympic medals, winning their third largest number of medals at a single games.
Alison Conte Cerutti is a Brazilian beach volleyball player. He plays as a blocker. In 2011, along with Emanuel Rego he won the Swatch FIVB World Tour in Prague, Czech Republic. and the silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He won the gold medal at the 2015 World Championships in Netherlands. and the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio alongside teammate Bruno Schmidt. In 2019, Alison partnered with Álvaro Morais Filho. The team won their first gold medal at the FIVB Kuala Lumpur event. The duo also competed in the Tokyo 2020 journey. Since 2021 Alison has been playing with Guto Carvalhaes.
Brazil was the host nation of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's twenty-second appearance at the Summer Olympics, having competed in all editions in the modern era from 1920 onwards, except the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. Setting a milestone in Olympic history, Brazil became the first South American country to host the Summer Olympics, and the second Latin American host following the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico.
Marta Menegatti is an Italian beach volleyball player who plays as a left-side defender with her partner Viktoria Orsi Toth. With former teammate Greta Cicolari, she achieved a career-high world ranking of No. 4 in August 2012. Her career highlights include two gold, seven silver and seven bronze medals on the FIVB World Tour. She is also the 2011 European champion and the 2013 Mediterranean Games champion, both achieved with Cicolari. Menegatti represented Italy at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, finishing fifth and ninth respectively.
Sara Elizabeth Hughes is an American beach volleyball player. With teammate Kelly Cheng, she achieved a career-high world ranking of No. 2 in August 2023. Hughes has won six tournaments on the AVP Pro Tour and seven gold medals, one silver medal, and three bronze medals on the FIVB World Tour/Pro Beach Tour.