Beach Volleyball at the Olympics
Beach volleyball was first introduced at the 1992 Games as a demonstration sport (or was it?), becoming an official sport four years later at the Olympic Games in 1996. Indoor volleyball has been officially played at the Olympic Games since 1964, though it appeared earlier as a demonstration sport.
beach volleyball players The beach volleyball tournament at the Olympic Games typically follows a format that includes a preliminary round, knockout rounds, and medal matches. In the preliminary round, teams are divided into groups and play a round-robin format within their group.
Beach volleyball matches are played as best-of-three sets, with the first two sets played to 21 points and a potential third set played to 15 points. The top teams from each group advance to the knockout rounds, which consist of single-elimination matches leading to the medal matches.
Men Beach Volleyball Winners
| Olympiad | Winners | Players |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Norway | Anders Mol & Christian Sørum |
| 2016 | Brazil | Alison Cerutti & Bruno Oscar Schmidt |
| 2012 | Germany | Julius Brink & Jonas Reckermann |
| 2008 | USA | Phil Dalhausser & Todd Rogers |
| 2004 | Brazil | Emanuel Rego & Ricardo Santos |
| 2000 | USA | Dain Blanton & Eric Fonoimoana |
| 1996 | USA | Karch Kiraly & Kent Steffes |
Women Beach Volleyball Winners
| Olympiad | Winners | Players |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | USA | Alix Klineman & April Ross |
| 2016 | Germany | Laura Ludwig & Kira Walkenhorst |
| 2012 | USA | Misty May-Treanor & Kerri Walsh Jennings |
| 2008 | USA | Misty May-Treanor & Kerri Walsh Jennings |
| 2004 | USA | Misty May-Treanor & Kerri Walsh Jennings |
| 2000 | Australia | Natalie Cook & Kerri Pottharst |
| 1996 | Brazil | Sandra Pires & Jackie Silva |
Trivia
- US player Karch Kiraly is the only player who has won both indoor and beach volleyball Olympic gold medals.
- The best all-time performing beach volleyball player at the Olympic Games is US player Kerri Walsh with three gold and one bronze from 2004 to 2016. See more on the Greatest Volleyball Players at the Olympics.
- Twice USA teams have faced off in the gold medal match. For men's beach volleyball in 1996 there were two USA teams against each other in the final, and in the women's 2012 final match again two USA teams battled for the gold medal.
Related Pages
- Beach Volleyball demonstration at the 1992 Olympics
- About volleyball at the Olympics
- See also Indoor Volleyball at the Olympics
- Who are the Greatest Volleyball Players at the Olympics.
- More information about the sport of Beach Volleyball
- Paralympic sitting volleyball
- List of Olympic Sports
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