COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The 2016 Olympics are just days away and the U.S. Olympic Beach Volleyball Team is spending its final days in the States prepping for the historic event.
While the Olympic Games officially start for the U.S. beach athletes on Aug. 6, American beach athletes continue their seasons at the FIVB World Tour Klagenfurt Major and the FIVB U19 Beach World Championships.
Eight athletes comprise the Olympic Beach Volleyball Team, half of which are making their Olympic debut. The team travels through Houston for Team USA processing and arrive in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, on Aug. 1.
Pool play matches begin on Aug. 6 and run through Aug. 11. Rio, one hour ahead of Eastern Time, will feature multiple midnight matches, including two for April Ross and Kerri Walsh Jennings during the pool play phase.
Medal matches, for women on the 17th and men on the 18th, will feature the bronze medals at 9 p.m. ET and gold at 11 p.m. ET. Matches will air on NBC as well as streamed online.
FIVB KLAGENFURT MAJOR
The U.S. has five women’s teams and six men’s teams registered for the Klagenfurt Major, in Austria. The event is the final World Tour stop ahead of the Olympics, July 26-31.
USA’s Kelly Claes and Sara Hughes earned the wild card as the lone American women’s team already in the main draw. Tuesday’s women’s qualification tournament will feature the other four teams. John Hyden and Tri Bourne are seeded eighth in the main draw.
Following the Olympics, the FIVB World Tour has two more events in 2016. The Long Beach Grand Slam in California, Aug. 23-28, and the Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals, Sept. 13-18 in Toronto, Canada.
FIVB U19 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
From Larnaka, Cyprus, two men’s and women’s teams will compete in the FIVB Under 19 World Championships, from July 27-31. Winners of the USAV Team Trials in May, playing for the United States are: Megan Muret/Alexis Filippone, Kathryn Plummer/Milica Mirkovic, Lucas Lossone/Aidan Brown and Clay Messenger/Robert Mullahey.
Athletes will begin with pool play July 28-29 with elimination rounds beginning July 30. The Semifinal and medal matches are July 31.
WORLD TOUR RETURNS TO USA IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE OLYMPICS
Following the Olympics in August, the FIVB World Tour will return to the United States for the Long Beach Grand Slam (World Series of Beach Volleyball) starting Aug. 23. It is expected to draw the four American Olympic teams, as well as a large contingent from other countries.
Learn more about the next World Tour event in the U.S., here.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Aug. 6-18 Olympic Games beach volleyball matches
Aug. 5-7 NORCECA Boqueron
Aug. 11-13 NVL Hermosa Beach
Aug. 23-28 Long Beach Grand Slam
Aug. 26-28 NVL Virginia Beach
Sept. 1-4 AVP Chicago
Sept. 13-18 FIVB World Tour Finals
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