2008 Women’s · best eight finishes during the qualifying period from May 2007 through July 20, 2008. The qualifying process for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games was not an easy one

Barnett–Cook

Kuhn–Schwer

Schwaiger–Schwaiger

Van Breedam–Mouha

Juliana–Larissa

Talita–Renata

Xue–Zhang Xi

Tian Jia–Wang

Fernandez Grasset–Larrea Peraza

Esteves Ribalta–M. Crespo

Saka-Rtvelo

Goller–Ludwig

Pohl–Rau

Koutroumanidou–Tsiartsiani

Karantasiou–Arvaniti

Teru Saiki–Kusuhara

Candelas–Garcia

Kadijk R.–Mooren

Hakedal–Torlen

Maaseide–Glesnes

Uryadova–Shiryaeva

Augoustides–Nel

Branagh–Youngs

Walsh–May-Treanor

Athletes’ Honours lastupdated on July 21, 2008 AUS pages 26-27

SUI pages 28-29

AUT pages 30-31

BEL pages 32-33

BRA pages 34-35

BRA pages 36-37

CHN pages 38-39

CHN pages 40-41

CUB pages 42-43

CUB pages 44-45

GEO pages 46-47

GER pages 48-49

GER pages 50-51

GRE pages 52-53

GRE pages 54-55

JPN pages 56-57

MEX pages 58-59

NED pages 60-61

NOR pages 62-63

NOR pages 64-65

RUS pages 66-67

RSA pages 68-69

USA pages 70-71

USA pages 72-73

www.fivb.org

Legend of positions

BlockerPassing from left

DefenderPassing from left

BlockerPassing from right

DefenderPassing from right

Participating Teams 2008 Women’s

24 25

Player profile Player profile

Athlete’s honours Athlete’s honours

Team results

0 10 00 1 www.fivb.org

Barnett Cook (Captain)

Tamsin Barnett & Natalie Cook

Australian Natalie Cook’s name is synonymous with Olympic Beach Volleyball competition.

Teaming with Tamsin Barnett since the start of the qualifying process for the Beijing 2008 Olympics, Cook earned her fourth-straight trip to the Summer Games to become the only woman to accomplish the feat since the sport was introduced at the Atlanta 1996 competition.

The only men or women to reach the medal rounds in the first three Summer Games, Cook and Kerri-Ann Pottharst won the bronze medal in Atlanta while defending their No. 1-seed at Sydney 2000 to capture the Olympic gold medal by defeating legendary Brazilians Adriana Behar and Shelda for the Bondi Beach title.

After placing third at the 2003 FIVB World

Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Cook and Nicole Sanderson reached the semi-finals in Athens where they were defeated by Adriana Behar and Shelda. Plagued by shoulder problems, Cook and Sanderson dropped the bronze-medal match to Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs of the United States.

Playing a limited schedule the past two seasons, Barnett and Cook have never placed lower than ninth in their 15 FIVB events since May 2007 with two “final four” appearances and a gold-medal finish at the 2007 Korean stop in Seoul.

Cook is in the midst of her 16th season of FIVB play with 132 events to rank third behind Adriana Behar (136) and Shelda (134). Cook has won four FIVB gold medals with 26 podium placements and 41 “final four” finishes.

A 2000 Volleyball Olympian, Barnett has competed in 25 FIVB Beach events since 2005.

Team name: BarnettFirst name: TamsinLast name: BarnettBirth date: 10.03.1980Birth place: MelbourneHometown: AdelaideHeight: 193Weight: 73FIVB Exp: 4th seasonLanguage(s): English, German

Team name: CookFirst name: NatalieLast name: CookNickname: NatBirth date: 19.01.1975Birth place: Brisbane Hometown: Brisbane (Queensland)Height: 181Weight: 72FIVB Exp: 16th seasonLanguage(s): EnglishSponsor(s): Team LM, Vodafone, Oakley, Billabong

Season No Tourn. 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 7th 9th 13th Other

placeEarning

US$

2008 7 0 0 0 1 1 1 4 0 0 27,7502007 8 1 0 0 0 4 1 2 0 0 51,7002006 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 4 10,0752005 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 7,000Total 28 1 0 0 1 5 2 9 0 10 96,525


placeEarning

US$

2008 7 0 0 0 1 1 1 4 0 0 27,7502007 8 1 0 0 0 4 1 2 0 0 51,7002006 11 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 2 4 30,2752005 8 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 3 21,9502004 6 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 16,2502003 11 0 0 4 1 1 0 4 0 1 62,2502002 11 0 2 4 1 1 0 3 0 0 55,2482001 9 1 1 1 4 0 1 1 0 0 62,2502000 10 1 0 3 1 3 1 1 0 0 43,0001993-99 51 1 3 3 6 17 7 7 3 4 178,056Total 132 4 7 15 15 28 12 28 7 16 548,729

Year Tournament Country Ranking Prize moneyYear Tournament Country Ranking Prize

money

2008 Stavanger NOR 9 8,0002008 Paris FRA 9 8,0002008 Berlin GER 9 8,0002008 Osaka JPN 4 10,5002008 Seoul KOR 7 7,0002008 Shanghai CHN 5 8,5002008 Adelaide AUS 9 5,5002007 Gstaad SUI 9 11,0002007 Montréal CAN 5 10,0002007 Stavanger NOR 5 13,2002007 Paris FRA 5 13,2002007 Warsaw POL 5 10,0002007 Seoul KOR 1 32,0002007 Sentosa SIN 9 6,0002007 Shanghai CHN 7 8,000

12 Position Position

In bold: Best eight results in the Olympic season

26 27

Australia



Team results

www.fivb.org

Kuhn (Captain) Schwer

Simone Kuhn & Lea Schwer

One team’s misfortune turned into one team’s fortune for the Beijing 2008 Olympics as Switzerland’s Simone Kuhn and Lea Schwer replaced Sara Montagnolli and Sabine Swoboda of Austria in the Summer Games field due to injuries. After finishing 30 points behind Cristine “Saka” Santanna and Andrezza “Rtvelo” Martins of Georgia for the 24th and final spot for the Beijing competition, Kuhn earned a second Olympic trip when Swoboda was sidelined with back problems to end her Olympic bid. The Austrians had finished 20th on the Beijing list with 1,880 points for their best eight finishes during the qualifying period from May 2007 through July 20, 2008.

The qualifying process for the Beijing 2008

Olympic Games was not an easy one for Kuhn and Schwer as the Swiss pair totaled 1,650 points for their best eight FIVB finishes while the Georgians secured the final spot in the women’s field with 1,680 points. Kuhn and Schwer started the 2008 season as the 21st-ranked team on the Olympic qualifying list with a 280-point lead over Saka and Rtvelo. After posting seven of their eight best finishes for Beijing during the 2007 period, Kuhn and Schwer needed a ninth-place finish at this May’s stop in Barcelona to prove their Olympic candidacy. After the Spanish SWATCH stop, the Swiss pair failed to improve their Beijing qualifying total in their next six events with only one Main Draw win over Brazilian Olympians Talita Antunes and Renata Ribeiro (16-21, 22-20 and 15-13) at the SWATCH Grand Slam event in Moscow.

Team name: KuhnFirst name: SimoneLast name: KuhnBirth date: 02.09.1980Birth place: WattwilHometown: Luzern Height: 183Weight: 69FIVB Exp: 9th

Language(s): German, French, English

Team name: SchwerFirst name: LeaLast name: SchwerBirth date: 13.01.1982Birth place: BaselHometown: RiehenHeight: 183Weight: 69FIVB Exp: 7th

Language(s): German, French, English


placeEarning

US$

2008 12 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 10 20,3002007 11 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 6 25,2502006 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 3 32,0002005 15 1 0 0 1 1 2 5 3 2 50,8752004 13 1 0 1 1 2 2 4 0 2 46,8752003 12 0 0 0 1 4 0 3 0 4 34,1252002 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 4 16,1602001 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 3,5002000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 450Total 92 2 0 1 3 8 5 26 10 37 229,535


placeEarning

US$

2008 12 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 10 20,3002007 11 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 6 25,2502006 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 3 32,0002005 15 1 0 0 1 1 2 5 3 2 50,8752004 11 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 7 7,0002003 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 02002 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0Total 68 1 0 0 1 3 4 13 11 35 135,425

Year Tournament Country Ranking Prize money

2007 Klagenfurt AUT 25 3,5002007 Gstaad SUI 17 7,0002007 Marseille FRA 25 2,0002007 Berlin GER 25 3,5002007 Montréal CAN 13 4,5002007 Stavanger NOR 25 3,5002006 Phuket THA 17 3,0002006 Acapulco MEX 13 4,5002006 Victoria BRA 13 4,5002006 Porto Santo POR 17 3,0002006 Klagenfurt AUT 9 7,7502006 Paris FRA 13 6,5002006 Montréal CAN 13 4,5002006 Marseille FRA 13 4,5002006 Stavanger NOR 9 7,7502006 Gstaad SUI 9 9,0002006 Athens GRE 17 3,000


2008 Gstaad SUI 5 13,2002008 Marseille FRA 17 2,5002008 Women’s CEV Champ. GER 17 1,0002008 Moscow RUS 25 3,5002008 Stavanger NOR 33 02008 Paris FRA 25 3,5002008 Berlin GER 25 3,5002008 Stare Jablonki POL 25 1,8002008 Barcelona ESP 9 5,5002008 Seoul KOR 25 1,8002008 Shanghai CHN 25 1,8002008 Adelaide AUS 17 2,5002007 Phuket THA 17 3,0002007 Fortaleza BRA 9 6,0002007 St. Petersburg RUS 9 6,0002007 Aland FIN 13 4,5002007 Kristiansand NOR 7 7,000



28 29

Switzerland



Team results

www.fivb.org

Schwaiger (Captain) Schwaiger

Doris Schwaiger & Stefanie Schwaiger

Doris and Stefanie Schwaiger become the third “sister act” in the Olympic Beach Volleyball competition joining the Dutch Kadijks (Debora and Rebekka) and Bulgarian Yanchulovas (Lina and Petia). The Kadijks and the Bulgarians played against each other at Sydney 2000 where the Yanchulovas eliminated the Dutch. In 2004, the Yanchulovas placed ninth.

The Schwaigers have been playing together internationally since 2003, with the highlight of their first three seasons of competition being a bronze medal at the 2005 SWATCH-FIVB Junior World Championships in Rio de Janeiro.

After playing in qualifiers in 15 of their first 22 FIVB events, the Austrians have earned automatic Main Draw berths in their next 37

events. The past three seasons have been the Schwaigers’ most productive as their family has supported their efforts to become one of two women’s teams from Austria to qualify for the Olympic Beach Volleyball competition. With no Austrian women’s team qualifying for the Atlanta, Sydney and Athens Games, Sara Montagnolli and Sabine Swoboda will also be in Beijing.

The Schwaigers’ most memorable victory was their second Main Draw win in 2005 when the 31st-seeded Austrians upset second-seeded Juliana and Larissa in three sets at the Klagenfurt Grand Slam stop in front of family and friends. The Schwaigers also defeated 2004 Olympic teams from Germany and Greece in the next two 2005 events in Montreal and Athens to help establish themselves as a Main Draw team in 2006.

Team name: SchwaigerFirst name: DorisLast name: SchwaigerBirth date: 28.02.1985Birth place: AllentsteigHometown: ZwettlHeight: 172Weight: 55FIVB Exp: 7th seasonLanguage(s): French, English, GermanSponsor(s): A1, Seat

Team name: SchwaigerFirst name: StefanieLast name: SchwaigerBirth date: 07.08.1986Birth place: AccentsteigHometown: ZwettlHeight: 182Weight: 64FIVB Exp: 7th seasonSponsor(s): A1, Seat


placeEarning

US$

2008 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 5 24,2502007 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 2 9 34,2002006 14 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 3 8 32,8502005 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 12 13,2502004 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 2,5252003 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1,3752002 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0Total 64 0 0 0 0 1 3 12 6 42 108,450


placeEarning

US$

2008 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 5 24,2502007 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 2 9 34,2002006 14 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 3 8 32,8502005 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 12 13,2502004 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 2,5252003 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 1,3752002 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0Total 65 0 0 0 0 1 3 13 6 42 108,450


2007 Gstaad SUI 37 3,4002007 Berlin GER 25 3,5002007 Stavanger NOR 25 3,5002007 Paris FRA 9 8,0002007 Espinho POR 17 3,0002007 Warsaw POL 13 4,5002007 Seoul KOR 17 3,0002007 Sentosa SIN 9 6,0002007 Shanghai CHN 9 6,0002006 Acapulco MEX 13 4,5002006 Victoria BRA 17 3,0002006 Porto Santo POR 17 3,0002006 Warsaw POL 7 8,0002006 Klagenfurt AUT 25 3,4002006 Paris FRA 17 4,9002006 St. Petersburg RUS 17 3,0002006 Montréal CAN 13 4,500


2008 Women’s CEV Champ. GER 5 5,5002008 Moscow RUS 17 5,1002008 Stavanger NOR 25 3,5002008 Paris FRA 9 8,0002008 Berlin GER 9 8,0002008 Stare Jablonki POL 7 7,0002008 Barcelona ESP 13 3,9002008 Osaka JPN 17 2,5002008 Seoul KOR 17 2,5002008 Shanghai CHN 17 2,5002007 Phuket THA 9 6,0002007 Fortaleza BRA 17 3,0002007 St. Petersburg RUS 17 3,0002007 Women’s CEV Champ. ESP 13 2,0002007 Aland FIN 17 3,0002007 Kristiansand NOR 17 2,5002007 Klagenfurt AUT 9 8,000



30 31

Austria



Team results

www.fivb.org

Van Breedam (Captain) Mouha

Liesbeth Mouha & Liesbet Van Breedam

Qualifying wins on the FIVB tour are sometimes just as important as a victory in the Main Draw. For Liesbeth Mouha and Liesbet Van Breedam, a qualifying win over a top-ranked tandem from the United States at the 2007 Norwegian Grand Slam meant a lot in developing the Belgium team’s confidence.

Although Mouha and Van Breedam did not gain a Stavanger Main Draw berth, the three-set win over Americans Tyra Turner and Rachel Wacholder was a confidence-builder as the Belgium pair was not denied a Main Draw berth in their next six qualifying efforts in Montreal, Berlin, Marseille, Klagenfurt, Kristiansand and Äland.

With a successful end to the 2007 season, Mouha and Van Breedam started the 2008 campaign with only 1,130 qualifying points for

the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and 320 points behind the team in the last provisional spot.

After failing to increase their Beijing total in their first two 2008 starts in Shanghai and Seoul, Mouha and Van Breedam improved their standings in seven of their next eight starts. Six of the improvements were at FIVB events in Osaka, Stare Jablonki, Paris, Stavanger, Moscow and Marseille with the seventh at the European Championships in Germany where Mouha and Van Breedem placed fifth to increase their Beijing production to 2,290 points for their best eight finishes.

Mouha and Van Breedem, who posted sevenths at the 2007 Kristiansand and 2008 Marseille stops for their best FIVB placement, are the first men’s or women’s players from Belgium to compete in the Olympic Beach Volleyball competition.

Team name: Van BreedamFirst name: LiesbetLast name: Van BreedamBirth date: 27.01.1979Birth place: MechelenHometown: WillebroekHeight: 178Weight: 74FIVB Exp: 6th seasonLanguage(s): Dutch

Team name: MouhaFirst name: LiesbethLast name: MouhaBirth date: 07.01.1983Birth place: TongerenHometown: TongerenHeight: 191Weight: 88FIVB Exp: 4th seasonLanguage(s): Dutch, English, French, Italian, SpanishSponsor(s): Litto, Topsport Vlaanderen, Le Coq Sportif, Belisol, Vanco, Orbea, Weleda, Adidas EyewearWebsite: www.littobeach.be


placeEarning

US$

2008 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 5 0 3 28,4502007 16 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 14 19,4502006 7 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 5,2502003 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 02002 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 02001 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0Total 48 0 1 0 0 1 3 5 1 37 53,150


placeEarning

US$

2008 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 5 0 3 28,4502007 16 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 14 19,4502006 7 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 5,2502005 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0Total 34 0 1 0 0 1 3 5 1 23 53,150


2007 Marseille FRA 25 2,0002007 Berlin GER 25 3,5002007 Montréal CAN 17 3,0002007 Stavanger NOR 33 02007 Paris FRA 33 02007 Warsaw POL 33 02007 Seoul KOR 33 02007 Sentosa SIN 25 2,0002007 Shanghai CHN 33 02006 Phuket THA 33 02006 Acapulco MEX 25 2,0002006 Victoria BRA 25 2,0002006 Porto Santo POR 25 2,0002006 Vaduz LIE 7 5002006 Cyprus CYP 2 4,0002006 Marseille FRA 57 0


2008 Marseille FRA 7 7,0002008 Women’s CEV Champ. GER 5 5,5002008 Moscow RUS 9 8,0002008 Stavanger NOR 9 8,0002008 Paris FRA 9 8,0002008 Berlin GER 17 5,1002008 Stare Jablonki POL 9 5,5002008 Osaka JPN 9 5,5002008 Seoul KOR 17 2,5002008 Shanghai CHN 25 1,8002007 Fortaleza BRA 17 3,0002007 St. Petersburg RUS 17 3,0002007 Women’s CEV Champ. ESP 17 1,0002007 Äland FIN 13 4,5002007 Kristiansand NOR 7 7,0002007 Klagenfurt AUT 17 5,1002007 Gstaad SUI 33 4,800



32 33

Belgium



Team results

www.fivb.org

Juliana (Captain) Larissa

Juliana Felisberta Da Silva & Larissa França

June 18, 2008, will be a date to remember, especially for Juliana Felisberta Da Silva and Larissa França. In a pool-play match at the Paris Grand Slam, the medal predictions for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games changed.

In the second set of a match against a team from the Netherlands, Juliana’s right knee buckled after a blocking attempt on an outer counter within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower. The injury brought to a halt a string of successes for the Brazilians that featured 21 FIVB titles and three tour points championships.

If Juliana’s rehab proves successful, the Brazilians will be one of the favorites to earn their country’s fourth-straight appearance on an Olympic Beach Volleyball podium where the

South American country placed 1-2 in 1996 with silver medals in both 2000 and 2004.

After placing second on the 2004 FIVB tour standings, Juliana and Larissa captured the next three points titles while winning 20 of their 21 gold medals. During this stretch, the Brazilians reached 46 FIVB semi-finals in 49 starts with misses in 2005 in Austria (fifth), 2007 in Stavanger (ninth) and 2008 in Paris (25th).

With 45 podium placements and 49 “final four” finishes for 58 starts, Juliana and Larissa rank behind Americans Misty May-Treanor/Kerri Walsh (34) and compatriots Adriana Behar/Shelda (31) in career FIVB gold medals. Larissa won the 2007 Pan American Games gold medal in Rio with Juliana after netting the bronze medal at the 2003 PanAms in the Dominican Republic with Ana Richa.

Team name: JulianaFirst name: JulianaLast name: Felisberta Da SilvaBirth date: 22.07.1983Birth place: Santos Hometown: FortalezaHeight: 177Weight: 63FIVB Exp: 7th seasonLanguage(s): Portuguese

Team name: LarissaFirst name: LarissaLast name: FrançaBirth date: 14.04.1982Birth place: Cachoeira de Itapemirim Hometown: FortalezaHeight: 174Weight: 70FIVB Exp: 7th seasonLanguage(s): Portuguese


placeEarning

US$

2008 7 2 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 63,2502007 13 5 3 2 2 0 0 1 0 0 164,2002006 13 7 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 183,6002005 15 6 7 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 204,8752004 10 1 0 3 0 4 1 0 0 1 62,0002003 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 6,7502002 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 62 22 14 10 4 6 1 2 0 3 684,675


placeEarning

US$

2008 7 2 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 63,2502007 13 5 3 2 2 0 0 1 0 0 164,2002006 13 7 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 183,6002005 15 6 7 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 204,8752004 10 1 0 3 0 4 1 0 0 1 62,0002003 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 3,5002002 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1,260Total 63 21 14 10 4 5 1 1 0 7 682,685


2007 Warsaw POL 1 32,0002007 Seoul KOR 3 16,0002007 Sentosa SIN 4 12,0002006 Acapulco MEX 4 12,0002006 Victoria BRA 1 32,0002006 Porto Santo POR 1 32,0002006 Klagenfurt AUT 2 28,3002006 Paris FRA 1 42,3002006 St. Petersburg RUS 1 32,0002006 Montréal CAN 2 22,0002006 Marseille FRA 1 32,0002006 Stavanger NOR 1 42,3002006 Gstaad SUI 2 28,3002006 Athens GRE 3 16,0002006 Shanghai CHN 3 16,0002006 Modena ITA 1 32,0002005 Cape Town RSA 2 22,000


2008 Paris FRA 25 3,5002008 Berlin GER 3 23,0002008 Barcelona ESP 3 14,0002008 Osaka JPN 1 28,0002008 Seoul KOR 4 10,5002008 Shanghai CHN 2 19,5002008 Adelaide AUS 1 28,0002007 Fortaleza BRA 2 22,0002007 St. Petersburg RUS 1 32,0002007 Aland FIN 1 32,0002007 Kristiansand NOR 1 30,0002007 Klagenfurt AUT 2 29,5002007 Gstaad SUI 3 35,0002007 Berlin GER 2 29,5002007 Stavanger NOR 9 8,0002007 Paris FRA 4 18,4002007 Espinho POR 1 32,000



34 35

Brazil



Team results

www.fivb.org

Talita Renata (Captain)

Talita Antunes & Renata Ribeiro

Like the American qualifying competition for the Beijing 2008 Olympics, Talita Antunes and Renata Ribeiro withstood challenges from several Brazilian pairs to secure their country’s second Summer Games berth in the next to last FIVB qualifying event in Russia.

With a fourth-place finish in Moscow for Talita’s and Renata’s best placement in a FIVB Grand Slam event, Talita and Renata posted their 19th “final four” finish in 56 international events together with five gold medals, a 5-5 record in title matches and 13 podium placements since the start of their partnership in 2005.

Combined with their 11-3 Country Quota playoff mark, Talita and Renata have a 226-100 FIVB career record. The Brazilians won

their first two FIVB gold medals in 2005 in Athens and Bali before returning to the top of the international podium in 2007 in Singapore and Marseille. This season, the 25-year-old Talita and Renata won gold in Shanghai.

The 26-year-old Renata is in the midst of her fifth full season on the FIVB tour with 72 international participations. She and Shaylyn Bede placed second in the 2004 Italian stop at the first FIVB event after the 2004 Olympics. The young Brazilians lost the Milan gold-medal match to legendary compatriots Adriana Behar and Shelda, Shaylyn’s older sister.

Talita is competing on the FIVB tour for the fourth full season with 59 starts. Talita was the women’s FIVB tour rookie-of-the-year in 2005 and she won the 2008 “Queen of the Beach” title in January in Rio de Janeiro.

Team name: TalitaFirst name: Talita Da RochaLast name: AntunesBirth date: 29.08.1982Birth place: Riato Grosso Do Sul Hometown: Rio de JaneiroHeight: 181Weight: 63FIVB Exp: 5th seasonSponsor(s): DMC (Direct Marketing Company)

Team name: RenataFirst name: RenataLast name: Martins RibeiroBirth date: 07.12.1981Birth place: Rio de Janeiro Hometown: Rio de JaneiroHeight: 176Weight: 64FIVB Exp: 8th season


placeEarning

US$

2008 10 1 2 0 2 2 1 2 0 0 71,4002007 16 2 0 2 1 6 1 2 0 2 104,0002006 14 0 2 0 1 5 2 3 1 0 78,0502005 15 2 2 0 2 0 2 2 0 5 83,3752002 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1,950Total 56 5 6 2 6 13 6 10 1 7 338,775


placeEarning

US$

2008 10 1 2 0 2 2 1 2 0 0 71,4002007 16 2 0 2 1 6 1 2 0 2 104,0002006 14 0 2 0 1 5 2 3 1 0 78,0502005 15 2 2 0 2 0 2 2 0 5 83,3752004 12 0 1 0 0 2 3 0 1 5 39,6252003 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 11,0002002 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1,9502001 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2,000Total 72 5 7 2 6 16 9 10 3 14 391,400


2007 Berlin GER 5 13,2002007 Montréal CAN 9 6,0002007 Stavanger NOR 17 5,1002007 Paris FRA 25 3,5002007 Espinho POR 3 16,0002007 Warsaw POL 4 12,0002007 Seoul KOR 5 10,0002007 Sentosa SIN 1 32,0002007 Shanghai CHN 3 16,0002006 Acapulco MEX 2 22,0002006 Victoria BRA 5 10,0002006 Porto Santo POR 2 22,0002006 Warsaw POL 13 4,5002006 Klagenfurt AUT 5 12,8002006 Paris FRA 9 9,0002006 St. Petersburg RUS 4 12,0002006 Montréal CAN 7 8,000


2008 Moscow RUS 4 18,4002008 Stavanger NOR 5 13,2002008 Paris FRA 5 13,2002008 Berlin GER 9 8,0002008 Stare Jablonki POL 4 10,5002008 Barcelona ESP 2 19,5002008 Osaka JPN 7 7,0002008 Seoul KOR 9 5,5002008 Shanghai CHN 1 28,0002008 Adelaide AUS 2 19,5002007 Phuket THA 7 8,0002007 Fortaleza BRA 5 10,0002007 St. Petersburg RUS 5 10,0002007 Aland FIN 5 10,0002007 Klagenfurt AUT 5 13,2002007 Gstaad SUI 9 11,0002007 Marseille FRA 1 32,000



36 37

Brazil



Team results

www.fivb.org

Xue Zhang Xi (Captain)

Chen Xue & Xi Zhang

With four FIVB gold medals together since the start of their partnership in 2006, Chen Xue and Xi Zhang are the youngest team to win international titles, bettering the previous combined age mark of 43 years set in 2004 by Brazilians Juliana Felisberta Da Silva and Larissa França in Mallorca.

With two titles in 2006 at FIVB stops in Shanghai and Phuket, Xue became the youngest player ever at 17 to win international titles, breaking the previous best by 20-year-old Greek Vassiliki Arvaniti at the 2005 Norwegian stop with Vasso Karadassiou by upsetting Juliana and Larissa in Stavanager.

Xue and the 23-year-old Zhang have played in 37 FIVB events, including a Challenger last November in Hong Kong where they placed

second to compatriots Jia Tian and Jie Wang. After placing 17th in their first FIVB event together in May 2006 in Modena, Italy, Xue and Zhang won the gold medal in their next start by upsetting Tian and Wang in the Shanghai finals.

With 18 FIVB “final fours” and a 156-61 career match mark together, Xue and Zhang added two gold medals in 2008 when the Chinese pair defeated more experienced teams from Brazil (Shelda/Ana Paula Connelly) and the United States (Nicole Branagh/Elaine Youngs) for the South Korea and Russia titles, respectively.

Xue made her FIVB debut in 2005 by playing in two events. Zhang played in one international event each in 2002 and 2003 before competing full-time in 2004. Xue and Zhang captured the 2006 Asian Games Beach Volleyball gold medal in Qatar.

Team name: XueFirst name: ChenLast name: XueBirth date: 18.02.1989Birth place: Fujian Hometown: Fuzhou, FujianHeight: 189Weight: 68FIVB Exp: 6th seasonSponsor(s): Nike

Team name: Zhang XiFirst name: XiLast name: ZhangBirth date: 19.04.1985Birth place: JiangsnuHometown: Nantong, JiangsuHeight: 183Weight: 64FIVB Exp: 8th seasonLanguage(s): Chinese, EnglishSponsor(s): Nike


placeEarning

US$

2008 8 2 0 2 0 0 1 2 0 1 63,8002007 16 0 4 3 2 3 1 2 0 1 111,4002006 13 2 2 0 1 4 0 2 1 1 97,6002005 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1,5002004 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1,0002003 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0Total 44 4 6 5 3 7 2 7 1 9 275,300


placeEarning

US$

2008 8 2 0 2 0 0 1 2 0 1 63,8002007 16 0 4 3 2 3 1 2 0 1 111,4002006 13 2 2 0 1 4 0 2 1 1 97,6002005 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 9 15,9002004 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 10,7502003 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1,2502002 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 02001 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0Total 59 4 6 5 3 7 2 9 3 20 300,700


2007 Stavanger NOR 9 8,0002007 Paris FRA 5 13,2002007 Espinho POR 9 6,0002007 Warsaw POL 3 16,0002007 Seoul KOR 7 8,0002007 Sentosa SIN 3 16,0002007 Shanghai CHN 5 10,0002006 Phuket THA 1 32,0002006 Porto Santo POR 9 6,0002006 Warsaw POL 2 22,0002006 Klagenfurt AUT 5 12,8002006 Paris FRA 5 14,4002006 St. Petersburg RUS 2 22,0002006 Montréal CAN 5 10,0002006 Marseille FRA 9 6,0002006 Stavanger NOR 5 12,8002006 Gstaad SUI 4 17,700


2008 Moscow RUS 1 43,5002008 Stavanger NOR 17 5,1002008 Paris FRA 9 8,0002008 Berlin GER 9 8,0002008 Osaka JPN 3 14,0002008 Seoul KOR 1 28,0002008 Shanghai CHN 3 14,0002008 Adelaide AUS 7 7,0002007 Hong Kong HKG 2 4,0002007 Phuket THA 25 2,0002007 Aland FIN 3 16,0002007 Kristiansand NOR 2 20,0002007 Klagenfurt AUT 4 18,4002007 Gstaad SUI 4 28,0002007 Marseille FRA 2 22,0002007 Berlin GER 5 13,2002007 Montréal CAN 2 22,000



38 39

China



Team results

www.fivb.org

Tian Jia Wang (Captain)

Jia Tian & Jie Wang

Jia Tian returns for her third-straight Olympic Beach Volleyball competition where she will be competing with 22-year-old Jie Wang. As a 19-year-old, Tian placed 19th at the Sydney 2000 Olympics with Jingkun Zhang followed by a ninth at the Athens 2004 Summer Games with Fei Wang.

The 27-year-old Tian and Jie Wang have played in 37 FIVB events since May 2006 with a 168-58 match mark together. Tian and Jie Wang now have 25 “final four” finishes with 23 FIVB medals, including titles in 2006 at Austria and Poland, and 2007 in Shanghai. Tian and Jie Wang also won a 2007 FIVB Challenger event in Hong Kong.

In her 11th FIVB season, Tian ranks ninth in participations with 112 events as she has 30

medals and a 6-11 mark in title matches. While all of Jie Wang’s 25 international “final fours” and 23 medals have been since May 2006, Tian has 35 appearances in a FIVB semi-final.

Tian and Fei Wang won the bronze medal at the 2005 SWATCH FIVB World Championships in Berlin. Tian’s bid for an Athens 2004 medal was hampered when Fei Wang’s right knee injury hindered their effort two months before their Olympic appearance. Tian and Fei Wang won back-to-back 2003 FIVB stops in Indonesia and Italy.

Jie Wang, who has played in 46 FIVB events, competed in one international event in 2002 followed by eight participations with Linjun Ji in 2003. Jie Wang and Tian won the bronze medal at the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar where they were defeated in the semi-finals by compatriots Chen Xue and Xi Zhang.

Team name: Tian JiaFirst name: JiaLast name: TianBirth date: 09.02.1981Birth place: Tian Jin Hometown: BeijingHeight: 177Weight: 68FIVB Exp: 11th seasonLanguage(s): Chinese

Team name: WangFirst name: JieLast name: WangBirth date: 04.12.1985Birth place: Xing Jiang Hometown: UrumchiHeight: 190Weight: 75FIVB Exp: 5th seasonLanguage(s): Chinese


placeEarning

US$

2008 8 0 2 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 57,4502007 16 2 6 4 0 1 1 1 0 1 152,8002006 13 2 2 4 1 2 1 0 0 1 119,3002005 12 0 1 4 1 4 0 1 1 0 92,0002004 9 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 2 4 18,7502003 12 2 0 0 1 3 0 2 0 4 55,2502002 9 0 0 0 0 3 0 4 0 2 20,5502001 10 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 1 3 24,5752000 12 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 7 15,0001998-99 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 2,400Total 112 6 11 13 5 15 6 15 7 34 558,075


placeEarning

US$

2008 8 0 2 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 57,4502007 16 2 6 4 0 1 1 1 0 1 152,8002006 13 2 2 4 1 2 1 0 0 1 119,3002003 8 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 5 9,5002002 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0Total 46 4 10 9 2 5 3 4 0 9 339,050


2007 Stavanger NOR 2 29,5002007 Paris FRA 2 29,5002007 Espinho POR 7 8,0002007 Warsaw POL 5 10,0002007 Seoul KOR 2 22,0002007 Sentosa SIN 2 22,0002007 Shanghai CHN 1 32,0002006 Phuket THA 2 22,0002006 Porto Santo POR 3 16,0002006 Warsaw POL 1 32,0002006 Klagenfurt AUT 1 42,3002006 Paris FRA 5 14,4002006 St. Petersburg RUS 17 3,0002006 Montréal CAN 3 16,0002006 Marseille FRA 4 12,0002006 Stavanger NOR 5 12,8002006 Gstaad SUI 3 22,100


2008 Moscow RUS 3 23,0002008 Stavanger NOR 25 3,5002008 Paris FRA 4 18,4002008 Berlin GER 2 29,5002008 Osaka JPN 2 19,5002008 Seoul KOR 7 7,0002008 Shanghai CHN 9 5,5002008 Adelaide AUS 5 8,5002007 Hong Kong HKG 1 5,0002007 Phuket THA 3 16,0002007 Aland FIN 2 22,0002007 Kristiansand NOR 3 14,5002007 Klagenfurt AUT 17 5,1002007 Gstaad SUI 2 45,0002007 Marseille FRA 3 16,0002007 Berlin GER 3 23,0002007 Montréal CAN 9 6,000



40 41

China



Team results

www.fivb.org

Fernandez Grasset Larrea Peraza (Captain)

Dalixia Fernandez Grasset &Tamara Larrea Peraza

Dalixia Fernandez Grasset and Tamara Larrea Peraza, one of the more experienced teams in the 17-year history of the FIVB women’s tour, will be seeking to better their previous Olympic placements of ninth in 2000 and 2004 as the Cubans prepare for their third Summer Games’ Beach Volleyball appearance.

With more than 80 FIVB starts since forming their partnership in 2000 for their initial Olympic drive to Sydney, the 30-year-old Fernandez Grasset and 34-year-old Larrea Peraza will have Cuban team-mates in Beijing as Milagros Crespo and Imara Esteves Ribalta also qualified for the 2008 Summer Games. In head-to-head FIVB competition, Fernandez Grasset and Larrea Peraza lead the series with their compatriots 4-2.

Except for the 2002 season, Fernandez Grasset and Larrea Peraza have played together in four “final four” finishes, including two in Berlin where the Cubans placed second in 2004 before placing fourth at the FIVB World Championships in the German capital in 2005. The other two semi-final appearances were in 2003 with a fourth in Rhodes and a second in Bali.

For “major” events like the Olympics, FIVB World Championships, PanAm Games and Goodwill Games, Fernandez Grasset and Larrea Peraza have performed well with 27-16 match mark. In addition to the fourth at the 2005 World Championships, the Cubans won the 2003 PanAm Games in the Dominican Republic before placing second to Brazilians Juliana Felisberta Da Silva and Larissa França in the 2007 PanAms in Rio.

Team name: Fernandez GrassetFirst name: DalixiaLast name: Fernandez GrassetBirth date: 26.11.1977Birth place: GuantanamoHometown: GuantanamoHeight: 177Weight: 65FIVB Exp: 9th seasonLanguage(s): SpanishSponsor(s): Pepe Sierra

Team name: Larrea PerazaFirst name: TamaraLast name: Larrea PerazaBirth date: 25.11.1973Birth place: Ciudad HabanaHometown: Ciudad HabanaHeight: 183Weight: 71FIVB Exp: 11th seasonLanguage(s): SpanishSponsor(s): Pepe Sierra


placeEarning

US$

2008 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 4 26,8002007 13 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 2 6 33,8002006 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 1 3 30,6002005 9 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 1 4 33,6252004 10 0 1 0 0 1 1 2 1 4 33,0002003 9 0 1 0 1 1 0 3 0 3 27,5002002 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 6 9,5052001 11 0 0 0 0 5 1 4 0 1 42,2502000 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 1 5 12,000Total 90 0 2 0 2 10 5 26 9 36 249,080


placeEarning

US$

2008 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 4 26,8002007 13 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 2 6 33,8002006 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 1 3 30,6002005 9 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 1 4 33,6252004 10 0 1 0 0 1 1 2 1 4 33,0002003 9 0 1 0 1 1 0 3 0 3 27,5002002 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 2 14,8852001 10 0 0 0 0 5 1 3 0 1 39,5002000 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 1 5 12,0001998-99 7 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 6 700Total 96 0 2 0 2 10 6 29 9 38 252,410


2007 Paris FRA 17 5,1002007 Espinho POR 25 2,0002007 Warsaw POL 17 3,0002007 Seoul KOR 13 4,5002007 Sentosa SIN 13 4,5002007 Shanghai CHN 17 3,0002006 Phuket THA 7 8,0002006 Acapulco MEX 9 6,0002006 Victoria BRA 17 3,0002006 Porto Santo POR 9 6,0002006 Warsaw POL 9 6,0002006 Klagenfurt AUT 17 4,9002006 Marseille FRA 25 2,0002006 Stavanger NOR 5 12,8002006 Gstaad SUI 13 6,5002006 Shanghai CHN 9 6,0002005 Salvador BRA 17 3,000


2008 Marseille FRA 13 3,9002008 Moscow RUS 17 5,1002008 Stavanger NOR 9 8,0002008 Paris FRA 5 13,2002008 Berlin GER 17 5,1002008 Stare Jablonki POL 9 5,5002008 Barcelona ESP 17 2,5002008 Osaka JPN 13 3,9002008 Seoul KOR 13 3,9002008 Shanghai CHN 17 2,5002007 Phuket THA 25 2,0002007 Fortaleza BRA 9 6,0002007 Aland FIN 7 8,0002007 Kristiansand NOR 17 2,5002007 Klagenfurt AUT 9 8,0002007 Gstaad SUI 9 11,0002007 Stavanger NOR 9 8,000



42 43

Cuba



Team results

www.fivb.org

Esteves Ribalta M. Crespo (Captain)

Milagros Crespo & Imara Esteves Ribalta

With the qualification of Milagros Crespo Valle and Imara Esteves Ribalta as the second Cuban entry for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, the Caribbean country will have the second-most experienced teams in the Summer Games with nearly 150 combined FIVB events to their credit.

With more than 80 FIVB starts Dalixia Fernandez Grasset and Tamara Larrea Peraza, Crespo Valle and Esteves Ribalta have competed in 65 events as Cuba joins Austria, Brazil, China, Germany, Greece, Norway and the United States in having two teams in the women’s Beijing competition. Only the Norwegian teams of Susanne Glesnes/Kathrine Maaseide (100 FIVB starts) and Nila Ann Hakedal/Ingrid Torlen (78) have more combined FIVB experience.

Partners since 2003, Crespo Valle and Esteves Ribalta will be seeking their best finish in a “major” FIVB event as the pair has never placed higher than seventh in Grand Slam competition in 2005 in Norway and 2006 in Paris. During the 2007-2008 Grand Slam/World Championship cycle, Crespo and Esteves Ribalta posted three ninths and six 17ths.

While Esteves Ribalta has played all her FIVB events with the same partner, Crespo Valle competed with two other partners, including eight stops in 2003 with Larrea Peraza as the pair split 32 matches and placed ninth in six of eight events.

Crespo’s and Esteves Ribalta’s best finishes were fifths, including Bali 2003 where Fernandez Grasset and Larrea Peraza placed second as both Cuban teams were defeated by gold-medal winners Jia Tian and Fei Wang of China.

Team name: Esteves RibaltaFirst name: ImaraLast name: Esteves RibaltaBirth date: 15.04.1978Birth place: C. HabanaHometown: C. HabanaHeight: 178Weight: 68FIVB Exp: 6th season

Team name: M. CrespoFirst name: Milagros VictoriaLast name: Crespo ValleBirth date: 04.02.1979Birth place: CabaiguanHometown: Santi SpiritusHeight: 173Weight: 60FIVB Exp: 8th seasonLanguage(s): Spanish


placeEarning

US$

2008 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 2 3 26,5502007 15 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 1 8 38,9002006 12 0 0 0 0 2 3 2 2 3 41,3002005 9 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 3 24,3752004 10 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 7 17,1252003 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 7 15,438Total 66 0 0 0 0 3 7 15 10 31 163,688


placeEarning

US$

2008 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 2 3 26,5502007 15 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 1 8 38,9002006 12 0 0 0 0 2 3 2 2 3 41,3002005 9 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 3 24,3752004 10 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 7 17,1252003 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 7 15,4382002 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 2 14,8852001 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1,000Total 75 0 0 0 0 3 7 21 10 34 179,573


2007 Berlin GER 9 8,0002007 Stavanger NOR 17 5,1002007 Paris FRA 17 5,1002007 Espinho POR 7 8,0002007 Warsaw POL 25 2,0002007 Seoul KOR 9 6,0002007 Sentosa SIN 7 8,0002007 Shanghai CHN 25 2,0002006 Phuket THA 13 4,5002006 Acapulco MEX 5 10,0002006 Victoria BRA 7 8,0002006 Porto Santo POR 13 4,5002006 Warsaw POL 7 8,0002006 Klagenfurt AUT 9 7,7502006 Paris FRA 7 11,2002006 St. Petersburg RUS 5 10,0002006 Marseille FRA 17 3,000


2008 Marseille FRA 13 3,9002008 Moscow RUS 17 5,1002008 Stavanger NOR 17 5,1002008 Paris FRA 17 5,1002008 Berlin GER 9 8,0002008 Stare Jablonki POL 9 5,5002008 Barcelona ESP 9 5,5002008 Osaka JPN 9 5,5002008 Seoul KOR 9 5,5002008 Shanghai CHN 13 3,9002007 Phuket THA 13 4,5002007 Fortaleza BRA 17 3,0002007 St. Petersburg RUS 17 3,0002007 Aland FIN 17 3,0002007 Kristiansand NOR 9 5,1002007 Klagenfurt AUT 9 8,0002007 Gstaad SUI 17 7,000



44 45

Cuba



Team results

www.fivb.org

Saka (Captain) Rtvelo

Andrezza Martins & Cristine Santanna

It came down to the final two qualifying events for the Beijing 2008 Olympics for Cristine “Saka” Santanna and Andrezza “Rtvelo” Martins to secure a berth in the Summer Games.

Saka and Rtvelo, which is how you say Georgia in Georgian, used a “wild card” entry at the European Championships in Germany to improve their Beijing total by 80 points to move past three teams into 21st place. Saka and Rtvelo followed up their ninth-place finish in Hamburg with another ninth in Marseille to guarantee their spot in the 2008 Summer Games.

Unlike most of the teams advancing to Beijing, the Georgians evenly divided their best Olympic qualifying finishes between 2007 and 2008. Saka and Rtvelo started the 2008 season 250 points behind the last place tandem on the 24-team

provisional Olympic list with 1,200 points. The Georgians finished the process with 1,740 points.

After placing ninth at the Paris Grand Slam in mid-June to rank among the provision leaders for the Olympics, Saka and Rtvelo fell back into the pretenders list with a 25th- and 33rd-place finish at the Norwegian and Russian Grand Slam event.

Saka and Rtvelo started playing for Georgia at the end of the 2006 season in FIVB events in Brazil and Mexico where they failed to advance from the Qualification Tournament. After failing to post a quality Olympic qualifying finish in their first seven events in 2007, Saka and Rtvelo produced their first point-counting placement with a ninth in Montreal.

Brazilians by birth, Saka is married to the flamboyant Harley Marques while Rtvelo is wedded to Bruno de Paula.

Team name: SakaFirst name: CristineLast name: SantannaBirth date: 27.05.1979Birth place: Sao Paulo, BrazilHometown: TbilisiHeight: 181Weight: 71FIVB Exp: 3rd season

Team name: RtveloFirst name: AndrezzaLast name: Martins das ChagasBirth date: 02.08.1977Birth place: Manaus, BrazilHometown: TbilisiHeight: 170Weight: 62FIVB Exp: 5th season


placeEarning

US$

2008 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 8 14,9002007 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 14 21,3002006 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0Total 31 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 24 36,200


placeEarning

US$

2008 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 8 14,9002007 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 14 21,3002006 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 02004 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 02002 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0Total 33 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 26 36,200


2007 Klagenfurt AUT 33 02007 Gstaad SUI 17 7,0002007 Marseille FRA 13 4,5002007 Berlin GER 25 3,5002007 Montréal CAN 9 6,0002007 Stavanger NOR 41 02007 Paris FRA 25 3,5002007 Espinho POR 33 02007 Warsaw POL 33 02007 Seoul KOR 41 02007 Sentosa SIN 25 2,0002007 Shanghai CHN 17 3,0002006 Acapulco MEX 41 02006 Victoria BRA 41 0


2008 Marseille FRA 17 2,5002008 Women’s CEV Champ. GER 9 3,0002008 Moscow RUS 33 02008 Stavanger NOR 25 3,5002008 Paris FRA 9 8,0002008 Berlin GER 41 02008 Stare Jablonki POL 33 02008 Barcelona ESP 13 3,9002008 Osaka JPN 17 2,5002008 Seoul KOR 17 2,5002008 Shanghai CHN 13 3,9002008 Adelaide AUS 41 02007 Phuket THA 25 2,0002007 Fortaleza BRA 25 2,0002007 St. Petersburg RUS 13 4,5002007 Aland FIN 17 3,0002007 Kristiansand NOR 25 1,600



46 47

Georgia



Team results

www.fivb.org

Goller (Captain) Ludwig

Sara Goller & Laura Ludwig

Sara Goller and Laura Ludwig established themselves as a serious contender for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games by ending the 2006 FIVB season with a fifth place in Acapulco before becoming the first Germany team in more than two years to compete in a gold-medal match at the 2007 Portuguese stop.

With more experienced German teams ahead of them to start the 2007 season, Goller and Ludwig finished as the European country’s top team on the FIVB circuit ahead of Athens 2004 Olympians Stephanie Pohl and Okka Rau, who placed fifth in the Greece competition.

Goller and Ludwig, who finished second in the 2007 continental championships in Spain to Greece’s Vassiliki Arvaniti and Vasso Karadassiou, also posted two “final four”

finishes at FIVB Grand Slam stops in Norway and Austria. Overall, the Germans have a 96-66 mark for 38 FIVB starts since 2005.

Goller and Ludwig spent most of 2006 in FIVB qualifiers where the Germans started 10 of their 11 tournaments playing in Country Quota matches in which they were eliminated four times before reaching the preliminary rounds. The Acapulco finish helped Goller and Ludwig to avoid the first three qualifiers in 2007.

The 22-year-old Ludwig started playing full-time on the international tour in 2005 with all her FIVB starts being with the 24-year-old Goller. Before their silver medal in Portugal last season, the Germany’s best FIVB placement was a third place at a 2005 Satellite event in Lausanne, Switzerland. Ludwig also captured the FIVB World Championship for players under the age of 18 in 2003 in Thailand with Jana Kohler.

Team name: GollerFirst name: SaraLast name: GollerBirth date: 21.05.1984Birth place: StambergHometown: KielHeight: 180Weight: 71FIVB Exp: 7th seasonLanguage(s): German, English, FrenchWebsite: www.gollerplusludwig.com

Team name: LudwigFirst name: LauraLast name: LudwigBirth date: 13.01.1986 Birth place: BerlinHometown: BerlinHeight: 180Weight: 70FIVB Exp: 5th seasonWebsite: www.gollerplusludwig.com


placeEarning

US$

2008 7 1 0 0 0 2 1 1 1 1 32,0502007 13 0 2 1 1 1 2 2 0 4 68,2502006 11 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 9 9,7502005 11 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 9 10,2252004 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 02003 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 02002 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2,000Total 47 1 2 2 1 6 3 4 2 26 122,275


placeEarning

US$

2008 7 1 0 0 0 2 1 1 1 1 32,0502007 13 0 2 1 1 1 2 2 0 4 68,2502006 11 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 9 9,7502005 9 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 7 10,2252003 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 41 2 2 2 1 4 3 4 2 21 120,275


2007 Seoul KOR 17 3,0002007 Sentosa SIN 17 3,0002007 Shanghai CHN 7 8,0002006 Acapulco MEX 5 10,0002006 Victoria BRA 13 4,5002006 Klagenfurt AUT 41 02006 Marseille FRA 41 02006 Gstaad SUI 41 02006 Athens GRE 25 2,0002006 Shanghai CHN 17 3,0002005 Acapulco MEX 41 02005 Salvador BRA 25 2,0002005 Montréal CAN 9 6,0002005 Lausanne SUI 3 1,7002005 Espinho POR 33 02005 St. Petersburg RUS 33 02005 Stavanger NOR 25 3,250


2008 Women’s CEV Champ. GER 1 20,0002008 Stavanger NOR 9 8,0002008 Paris FRA 5 13,2002008 Berlin GER 25 3,5002008 Stare Jablonki POL 13 3,9002008 Barcelona ESP 7 7,0002008 Adelaide AUS 5 8,5002007 Fortaleza BRA 7 8,0002007 Women’s CEV Champ. ESP 2 15,0002007 Aland FIN 9 6,0002007 Klagenfurt AUT 3 23,0002007 Gstaad SUI 17 7,0002007 Marseille FRA 5 10,0002007 Berlin GER 9 8,0002007 Stavanger NOR 4 18,4002007 Paris FRA 17 5,1002007 Espinho POR 2 22,000



48 49

Germany



Team results

www.fivb.org

Pohl (Captain) Rau

Stephanie Pohl & Okka Rau

Stephanie Pohl and Okka Rau finished the qualifying process for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games by making history in becoming the first women’s team from Germany to capture an FIVB gold medal at an “open” event.

The Marseille title also secured Pohl and Rau their second trip to the Olympics as Rieke Brink-Abeler and Hella Jurich still had an opportunity in the Mediterranean port city to pass their German rivals for the No. 2 spot on their country’s women’s Beach Volleyball team for Beijing.

With only six teams having played in more FIVB events than Pohl and Rau, the German pair will be seeking to improve on their fifth-place finish at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games after

being eliminated by Americans Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs in the quarter-finals.

It was the best finish by a German women’s team in Olympic competition as one of Pohl’s and Rau’s three Athens wins was over fourth-place finishers Natalie Cook and Nicole Sanderson of Australia in pool play. Cook and Sanderson eventually finished fourth in the 2004 Summer Games after losing to McPeak and Youngs in the bronze-medal match.

With 80 FIVB starts since 2000, Pohl and Rau are one of nine teams to top the US$500,000 mark in team earnings while posting more than 200 match wins. The 2003 continental champions and 2006 European tour leaders, Pohl and Rau are their confederation’s third-ranked team on the Beijing 2008 Olympic qualifying list behind Greece’s Vassiliki Arvaniti/Vasso Karantasiou and German rivals Sara Goller/Laura Ludwig.

Team name: PohlFirst name: StephanieLast name: PohlBirth date: 07.05.1978Birth place: FinsterwaldeHometown: KielHeight: 186Weight: 76FIVB Exp: 11th seasonLanguage(s): German, English, FrenchSponsor(s): Venice Beach, Nivea

Team name: RauFirst name: OkkaLast name: RauBirth date: 05.01.1977Birth place: LeerHometown: KielHeight: 179Weight: 69FIVB Exp: 9th seasonLanguage(s): German, EnglishSponsor(s): Nivea, Nike, Smart, Oakley, PowerbarWebsite: www.pohlrau.com


placeEarning

US$

2008 10 1 0 0 1 2 2 1 1 2 47,7002007 12 0 0 0 1 3 1 3 1 3 47,2002006 8 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 2 3 34,4002005 9 0 0 1 0 2 2 1 1 2 40,4002004 12 0 0 0 0 2 3 2 1 4 26,7502003 12 1 0 0 0 3 0 4 0 4 35,2502002 10 0 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 3 20,9952001 10 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 3 22,6252000 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 6 15,5001998-99 10 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 6 8,600Total 105 2 1 2 4 14 10 20 16 36 299,420


placeEarning

US$

2008 10 1 0 0 1 2 2 1 1 2 47,7002007 12 0 0 0 1 3 1 3 1 3 47,2002006 8 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 2 3 34,4002005 9 0 0 1 0 2 2 1 1 2 40,4002004 12 0 0 0 0 2 3 2 1 4 26,7502003 12 1 0 0 0 3 0 4 0 4 35,2502002 10 0 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 3 20,9952001 10 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 3 22,6252000 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1,000Total 85 2 0 2 4 14 9 19 9 26 276,320


2007 Stavanger NOR 5 13,2002007 Paris FRA 17 5,1002007 Espinho POR 17 3,0002007 Warsaw POL 7 8,0002007 Sentosa SIN 9 6,0002006 Klagenfurt AUT 3 22,1002006 Paris FRA 13 6,5002006 Montréal CAN 4 12,0002006 Marseille FRA 17 3,0002006 Stavanger NOR 4 17,7002006 Gstaad SUI 33 02006 Shanghai CHN 13 4,5002006 Modena ITA 17 3,0002005 Cape Town RSA 17 3,0002005 Klagenfurt AUT 13 6,3002005 Paris FRA 25 3,2502005 Espinho POR 5 10,000


2008 Marseille FRA 1 28,0002008 Women’s CEV Champ. GER 4 7,5002008 Moscow RUS 9 8,0002008 Stavanger NOR 5 13,2002008 Paris FRA 17 5,1002008 Berlin GER 5 13,2002008 Stare Jablonki POL 17 2,5002008 Barcelona ESP 7 7,0002008 Shanghai CHN 13 3,9002008 Adelaide AUS 7 7,0002007 Women’s CEV Champ. ESP 9 3,0002007 Aland FIN 13 4,5002007 Kristiansand NOR 4 10,5002007 Klagenfurt AUT 9 8,0002007 Gstaad SUI 5 18,0002007 Marseille FRA 5 10,0002007 Berlin GER 17 5,100



50 51

Germany



Team results

www.fivb.org

Koutroumanidou (Captain) Tsiartsiani

Efthalia Koutroumanidou & Maria Tsiartsiani

After a very productive season in 2005 when Efthalia Koutroumanidou and Maria Tsiartsiani ranked ninth on the FIVB point’s list, the Greek tandem has failed to match their opening successes.

The 2005 campaign was a banner season for Greece’s women’s Beach Volleyball program as Koutroumanidou and Tsiartsiani joined compatriots Vassiliki Arvaniti and Vasso Karantasiou in finishing among the top 10 teams in the world while combining to post a 73-53 match mark with 18 top-nine placements, four medals and one title.

With Arvaniti and Karantasiou starting the 2005 with a silver medal in Italy and a Norwegian title, Koutroumanidou and Tsiartsiani followed with a Portuguse silver medal after dropping

the title match to Americans Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. Koutroumanidou and Tsiartsiani ended the year with a third in Bali.

Following the 2005 season where they won 34 of 64 matches with seven top nines and two medals for 15 events, Koutroumanidou and Tsiartsiani have posted a 59-83 record with seven top nines and one “final four” finish in 39 events. However, back-to-back ninths at 2008 stops in Stavanger and the European Championships in Germany are good signs.

Koutroumanidou and Tsiartsiani began playing internationally in 1999 and 2000, respectively. Koutroumanidou gained early success with Arvaniti as the pair placed fourth at the 2002 SWATCH FIVB Junior World Championships before finishing ninth at Athens 2004. Koutroumanidou and Arvaniti also won a 2004 European tour event together in Spain.

Team name: KoutroumanidouFirst name: EfthaliaLast name: KoutroumanidouBirth date: 07.10.1982Birth place: VolosHometown: AthensHeight: 179Weight: 67FIVB Exp: 10th seasonLanguage(s): Greek, English, FrenchSponsor(s): Adidas, Oakley, Red Bull, O.BWebsite: www.thaliamaria.gr

Team name: TsiartsianiFirst name: MariaLast name: TsiartsianiBirth date: 21.10.1980Birth place: ThessalonikiHometown: AthensHeight: 180Weight: 67FIVB Exp: 9th seasonLanguage(s): Greek


placeEarning

US$

2008 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 8 18,9002007 17 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 3 11 38,7002006 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 10 24,6502005 15 0 1 1 0 2 0 3 2 6 56,9752004 14 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 9 23,6252003 12 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 7 23,7502002 9 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 8 2,6502001 6 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 2,7502000 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1,9501999 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 750Total 101 0 1 1 2 6 1 17 6 67 194,700


placeEarning

US$

2008 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 8 18,9002007 17 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 3 11 38,7002006 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 10 24,6502005 15 0 1 1 0 2 0 3 2 6 56,9752004 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 6 14,6252003 11 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 10 7,3132002 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 8252001 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3502000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 150Total 82 0 1 1 1 4 0 11 9 55 162,488


2007 Gstaad SUI 17 7,0002007 Marseille FRA 4 12,0002007 Berlin GER 17 5,1002007 Montréal CAN 17 3,0002007 Stavanger NOR 25 3,5002007 Paris FRA 25 3,5002007 Espinho POR 5 10,0002007 Warsaw POL 33 02007 Seoul KOR 13 4,5002007 Sentosa SIN 13 4,5002007 Shanghai CHN 17 3,0002006 Acapulco MEX 17 3,0002006 Porto Santo POR 17 3,0002006 Warsaw POL 17 3,0002006 Klagenfurt AUT 33 02006 Paris FRA 9 9,0002006 St. Petersburg RUS 13 4,500


2008 Marseille FRA 17 2,5002008 Women’s CEV Champ. GER 9 3,0002008 Stavanger NOR 9 8,0002008 Paris FRA 25 3,5002008 Berlin GER 25 3,5002008 Stare Jablonki POL 17 2,5002008 Barcelona ESP 25 1,8002008 Osaka JPN 17 2,5002008 Seoul KOR 17 2,5002008 Shanghai CHN 9 5,5002008 Adelaide AUS 17 2,5002007 Phuket THA 17 3,0002007 Fortaleza BRA 17 3,0002007 St. Petersburg RUS 9 6,0002007 Aland FIN 25 2,0002007 Kristiansand NOR 13 3,8002007 Klagenfurt AUT 25 3,500



52 53

Greece



Team results

www.fivb.org

Karantasiou* (Captain) Arvaniti

Vassiliki Arvaniti & Vasso Karantasiou

With past Olympic experience with different partners, Vassiliki Arvaniti and Vasso Karantasiou will be competing in the Beijing 2008 Summer Games together as the most successful men’s or women’s Beach Volleyball team in Greek history.

Two-time European champions in 2005 and 2007, Arvaniti and Karantasiou have competed in 46 FIVB events together since forming their partnership at the start of the 2005 season. The Greeks now have eight “final four” finishes together and three podium placements with a gold medal at the July 2005 Norwegian Grand Slam where Arvaniti and Karantasiou upset Brazilians Juliana Felisberta Da Silva and Larissa França twice in the Stavanger competition.

With silver medal finishes in 2005 (Milan) and 2008 (Stavanger), Arvaniti and Karantasiou have posted a 142-90 match mark for 46 FIVB events. The Greeks were the 2005 European tour leaders with a 7-2 title match mark and 10 podium placements.

A veteran of 12 international Beach Volleyball seasons, Karantasiou ranks sixth for FIVB tournaments (116) played behind players from Australia, Brazil, Italy and Japan. She competed in the Sydney 2000 (17th) and Athens 2004 (ninth) Olympic Games with Efi Sfyri.

Arvaniti is competing internationally for the sixth full season as she placed ninth in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games with Efthalia Koutroumanidou. When Arvaniti won her FIVB gold medal with Karantasiou in Norway, she was the youngest player (20) to win an “open” international Beach Volleyball title.

Team name: Karantasiou*First name: Vassiliki Last name: KarantasiouNickname: VassoBirth date: 06.01.1973Birth place: AthensHometown: AthensHeight: 182Weight: 72FIVB Exp: 12th seasonLanguage(s): Greek, English, ItalianSponsor(s): Red Bull, Puma, EASWebsite: www.karadassiou.gr www.karadassiou.com

*sometimes spelled as Karadassiou

Team name: ArvanitiFirst name: VassilikiLast name: ArvanitiBirth date: 17.03.1985Birth place: AthensHometown: AthensHeight: 178Weight: 68FIVB Exp: 8th seasonLanguage(s): Greek, EnglishSponsor(s): Red Bull, EAS, Puma, 3WorksWebsite: www.hellasbeach.gr


placeEarning

US$

2008 9 0 1 0 1 0 3 3 0 1 42,3002007 14 1 0 0 2 3 1 5 0 2 66,7002006 12 0 0 0 1 2 4 2 0 3 48,4252005 13 1 1 0 1 4 2 2 2 0 83,2502004 11 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 2 5 20,2502003 12 0 0 0 0 5 0 1 0 6 27,5002002 8 0 0 1 0 2 0 2 0 3 20,8052001 12 0 0 1 0 1 0 5 0 5 27,0502000 12 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 9 13,6001997-99 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 13 18,850Total 121 2 3 2 6 19 10 24 8 47 368,730


placeEarning

US$

2008 9 0 1 0 1 0 3 3 0 1 42,3002007 14 1 0 0 2 3 1 5 0 2 66,7002006 12 0 0 0 1 2 4 2 0 3 48,4252005 13 1 1 0 1 4 2 2 2 0 83,2502004 14 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 9 23,6252003 12 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 7 23,7502002 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 02001 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0Total 78 2 2 0 6 11 11 20 2 24 288,050


2007 Stavanger NOR 5 13,2002007 Paris FRA 9 8,0002007 Espinho POR 4 12,0002007 Warsaw POL 7 8,0002007 Seoul KOR 17 3,0002007 Sentosa SIN 17 3,0002006 Acapulco MEX 25 2,0002006 Victoria BRA 7 8,0002006 Porto Santo POR 25 2,0002006 Warsaw POL 9 6,0002006 Klagenfurt AUT 4 17,7002006 Paris FRA 7 11,2002006 Marseille FRA 7 8,0002006 Stavanger NOR 9 7,7502006 Gstaad SUI 7 11,2002006 Athens GRE 17 3,0002006 Shanghai CHN 5 10,000


2008 Women’s CEV Champ. GER 7 4,0002008 Moscow RUS 9 8,0002008 Stavanger NOR 2 29,5002008 Paris FRA 17 5,1002008 Berlin GER 9 8,0002008 Stare Jablonki POL 7 7,0002008 Barcelona ESP 4 10,5002008 Seoul KOR 9 5,5002008 Shanghai CHN 7 7,0002007 St. Petersburg RUS 4 12,0002007 Women’s CEV Champ. ESP 1 20,0002007 Aland FIN 9 6,0002007 Klagenfurt AUT 5 13,2002007 Gstaad SUI 9 11,0002007 Marseille FRA 9 6,0002007 Berlin GER 9 8,0002007 Montréal CAN 5 10,000



54 55

Greece



Team results

www.fivb.org

Teru Saiki Kusuhara (Captain)

Chiaki Kusuhara & Mika Teru Saiki

The Beijing 2008 Summer Games will be the second Olympic Beach Volleyball competitions for Chiaki Kusuhara and Mika Teru Saiki as Japan has been represented by at least one women’s team in each of the tournaments since 1996.

While Kusuhara and Ryo Tokuno placed 17th at the Athens 2004 Games, Teru Saiki posted the Asian country’s best-ever Olympic finish as she teamed with Yukiko Takahashi for a Sydney 2000 fourth after being defeated in the medal round by two teams from Brazil.

Kusuhara and Teru Saiki secured a Beijing berth by defeating Simone Kuhn and Lea Schwer in the final qualifying event in Marseille where the Japanese moved ahead of the Swiss pair in the Olympic standings. Kusuhara and Teru Saiki also scored a

contender’s bracket win over the Swiss in Seoul to help improve their Olympic qualification point total.

Kusuhara (117 FIVB events, tied for fourth all-time) and Teru Saiki (96) are the two most-experienced international players from Japan. Kusuhara’s best finish in an “open” FIVB event was a 2002 fourth in Austria with Tokuno. Kusuhara and Tokuno also placed fourth in a 2001 Greek Challenger.

The 2000 season was Teru Saiki’s most productive as she and Takahashi were ninth on the international ranking list with four FIVB “final four” finishes. Before their Sydney placement, Teru Saiki and Takahashi netted a silver medal in Osaka with thirds in Brazil and Germany. Following the 2000 Summer Games, Teru Saiki took two seasons off to raise her son before resuming competition in 2003.

Team name: Teru SaikiFirst name: MikaLast name: SaikiBirth date: 25.09.1971Birth place: Ehime, MatsuyamaHometown: MatsuyamaHeight: 172Weight: 63FIVB Exp: 10th seasonLanguage(s): JapaneseSponsor(s): Reebok, Daiki, ANA Swans

Team name: KusuharaFirst name: ChiakiLast name: KusuharaBirth date: 01.11.1975Birth place: EhimeHometown: Kanagawa-kenHeight: 175Weight: 68FIVB Exp: 11th seasonLanguage(s): Japanese


placeEarning

US$

2008 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 8 15,1502007 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 7 25,5002006 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 12 4,5002005 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 10 12,3752004 10 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 9 8,0002003 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 1,0002000 10 0 1 2 1 0 2 2 1 1 36,5001997-99 21 0 0 0 0 3 0 7 3 8 40,625Total 96 0 1 2 1 3 3 13 10 63 143,650


placeEarning

US$

2008 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 8 15,1502007 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 7 25,5002006 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 9 12,5002005 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 11 25,0502004 11 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 7 19,2502003 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 9 20,6252002 10 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 6 18,7652001 11 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 8 19,6252000 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 11 9,5001998-99 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 2,950Total 117 0 0 0 2 2 0 12 13 88 168,915


2007 Paris FRA 17 5,1002007 Espinho POR 17 3,0002007 Warsaw POL 9 6,0002007 Seoul KOR 17 3,0002007 Sentosa SIN 13 4,5002007 Shanghai CHN 13 4,5002006 Phuket THA 9 6,0002006 Acapulco MEX 33 02006 Victoria BRA 17 3,0002004 Milan ITA 17 3,000


2008 Marseille FRA 9 5,5002008 Moscow RUS 17 5,1002008 Stavanger NOR 33 02008 Paris FRA 41 02008 Berlin GER 17 5,1002008 Stare Jablonki POL 17 2,5002008 Barcelona ESP 17 2,5002008 Osaka JPN 13 3,9002008 Seoul KOR 13 3,9002008 Shanghai CHN 41 02008 Adelaide AUS 25 1,8002007 Fortaleza BRA 25 2,0002007 St. Petersburg RUS 13 4,5002007 Klagenfurt AUT 25 3,5002007 Gstaad SUI 37 3,4002007 Berlin GER 25 3,5002007 Stavanger NOR 9 8,000



56 57

Japan



Team results

www.fivb.org

Candelas Garcia (Captain)

Bibiana Candelas & Mayra Garcia

The “surprise” team on the 2008 women’s FIVB tour has been Bibiana Candelas and Mayra Garcia as the Mexican pair started the campaign trailing the tandem in the last provisional spot for the Beijing 2008 Olympics by more than 1,100 points.

After failing to qualify for the Main Draw at the 2008 season opener in Australia, Candelas and Garcia improved their Beijing qualifying total in eight of their next nine FIVB events to earn a spot in the field for the Summer Games. Highlighting Candelas’ and Garcia’s run was a seventh-place finish in Korea for the best finish by a Mexican team on the FIVB tour since 2003. The pair also placed ninth at the Berlin and Stavanger Grand Slam events.

The 36-year-old Garcia is in the midst of her eighth season of FIVB campaign with Olympic experience at the Athens 2004 Summer Games with Hilda Gaxiola. The 24-year-old Candelas is competing on the international Beach Volleyball tour for only the second season after completing an All-American collegiate Volleyball career at the University of Southern California and playing for more than eight years on the Mexican National Team.

Garcia has played in 75 FIVB events with her best finish being a 2003 fifth in Bali with Gaxiola. Garcia and Gaxiola competed in 55 FIVB events with eight top-nine finishes as the pair also placed second at the 2003 PanAm Games in the Dominican Republic. All 19 of Candelas’ FIVB starts have been with Garcia, with the pair winning the bronze medal at the 2007 PanAm Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Team name: CandelasFirst name: CandelasLast name: BibianaBirth date: 02.12.1983Birth place: Torreon, MexicoHometown: MazatlanHeight: 196Weight: 76FIVB Exp: 2nd seasonLanguage(s): Spanish, English

Team name: GarciaFirst name: MayraLast name: GarciaBirth date: 16.05.1972Birth place: Tijuana, MexicoHometown: Mazatlan SinaloaHeight: 173Weight: 64FIVB Exp: 8th seasonLanguage(s): Spanish


placeEarning

US$

2008 11 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 1 6 23,9002007 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 2,000Total 20 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 1 15 25,900


placeEarning

US$

2008 11 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 1 6 23,9002007 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 2,0002005 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 11 17,7502004 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 11,0002003 11 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 0 6 23,2502002 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 10 11,9652001 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 9 16,7502000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0Total 76 0 0 0 0 1 1 10 3 61 106,615


2007 Seoul KOR 25 2,0002007 Sentosa SIN 41 02007 Shanghai CHN 25 2,000


2008 Marseille FRA 13 3,9002008 Moscow RUS 17 5,1002008 Stavanger NOR 9 8,0002008 Paris FRA 25 3,5002008 Berlin GER 9 8,0002008 Stare Jablonki POL 25 1,8002008 Barcelona ESP 17 2,5002008 Osaka JPN 17 2,5002008 Seoul KOR 9 5,5002008 Shanghai CHN 7 7,0002008 Adelaide AUS 33 02007 Phuket THA 33 02007 Fortaleza BRA 33 02007 Stavanger NOR 41 02007 Paris FRA 41 02007 Espinho POR 33 02007 Warsaw POL 33 0



58 59

Mexico



Team results

www.fivb.org

Kadijk R. Mooren (Captain)

Rebekka Kadijk & Merel Mooren

Rebekka Kadijk and Merel Mooren have reached a plateau with their Beach Volleyball partnership and the Dutch duo is hoping to climb to new heights when they begin participation in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Forming their partnership in 2005, Kadijk’s and Mooren’s first season of FIVB competition proved to be their most productive by being ranked seventh internationally after placing fifth four times with 10 top-nine finishes in 13 starts. In 2006, the Dutch pair placed 12th on the FIVB points list with five top-nine placements in 12 starts.

With the 2007 and 2008 seasons featuring Olympic qualifying, Kadijk and Mooren have only five top-nine placements in 19 starts. After posting a winning match mark (61-52)

in their first two seasons together, Kadijk and Mooren are 11 games under .500 (28-39) in 2007 and 2008.

Kadijk, who is married to a former Dutch player (Richard de Kogel), and Mooren have won three European tour events the past two seasons after reaching the podium six times in 2005 and 2006, when they won silver medals in the confederation championships both years. On the European tour since 2005, Kadijk and Mooren have 10 “final four” finishes in 16 events with a 49-27 match mark.

While Kadijk will be competing in her third Olympic Beach Volleyball competition after playing with her sister in 2000 and Marrit Leenstra in 2004, Mooren has fulfilled her “dreams” for the first time. Debora Schoon Kadijk also competed in the Atlanta 1996 games with Lisette Van de Ven.

Team name: Kadijk R.First name: RebekkaLast name: KadijkBirth date: 16.06.1979Birth place: WerkendamHometown: RotterdamHeight: 175Weight: 67FIVB Exp: 12th seasonLanguage(s): English, Dutch, GermanSponsor(s): Lancaster sun protection, Adidas eye protection, Brunotti, Fek Metaal, Hightec pp, O.B.Website: www.kadijk-mooren.nl

Team name: MoorenFirst name: MerelLast name: MoorenBirth date: 22.09.1982Birth place: HaarlemHometown: AmstelveenHeight: 186Weight: 70FIVB Exp: 7th seasonLanguage(s): Ned


placeEarning

US$

2008 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 9 12,4002007 11 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 6 27,0002006 12 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 1 6 33,9502005 13 0 0 0 0 4 2 4 1 2 54,3002004 11 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 4 24,6252003 12 1 0 0 2 2 0 3 0 4 41,0002002 10 0 0 0 2 2 0 3 0 3 26,6332001 9 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 2 4 21,1252000 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 8 12,2501997-99 19 0 0 0 0 2 4 8 1 4 42,025Total 118 1 0 0 5 11 14 28 9 50 295,308


placeEarning

US$

2008 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 9 12,4002007 11 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 6 27,0002006 12 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 1 6 33,9502005 13 0 0 0 0 4 2 4 1 2 54,3002004 12 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 9 8,2252003 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 1,0002002 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0Total 67 1 0 0 0 5 8 10 3 40 136,875


2007 Paris FRA 9 8,0002007 Warsaw POL 25 2,0002007 Seoul KOR 17 3,0002007 Sentosa SIN 7 8,0002007 Shanghai CHN 25 2,0002006 Phuket THA 7 8,0002006 Acapulco MEX 17 3,0002006 Victoria BRA 13 4,5002006 Porto Santo POR 17 3,0002006 Warsaw POL 17 3,0002006 Klagenfurt AUT 25 3,4002006 Paris FRA 17 4,9002006 Marseille FRA 7 8,0002006 Stavanger NOR 17 4,9002006 Gstaad SUI 7 11,2002006 Athens GRE 7 8,0002006 Modena ITA 9 6,000


2008 Marseille FRA 17 2,5002008 Women’s CEV Champ. GER 9 3,0002008 Moscow RUS 41 02008 Stavanger NOR 25 3,5002008 Paris FRA 9 8,0002008 Berlin GER 25 3,5002008 Stare Jablonki POL 33 02008 Barcelona ESP 17 2,5002008 Seoul KOR 33 02008 Shanghai CHN 33 02008 Adelaide AUS 25 1,8002007 Women’s CEV Champ. ESP 9 3,0002007 Klagenfurt AUT 25 3,5002007 Gstaad SUI 37 3,4002007 Berlin GER 17 5,1002007 Montréal CAN 7 8,0002007 Stavanger NOR 9 8,000



60 61

Netherlands



Team results

www.fivb.org

Hakedal (Captain) Torlen

Nila Ann Hakedal & Ingrid Torlen

Nila Ann Hakedal and Ingrid Torlen are the only women’s team from Norway to compete in an FIVB “final four” while placing on the podium in the 22-season history of the international Beach Volleyball circuit.

One of four Norwegian teams to compete in the men’s and women’s competition at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, Hakedal and Torlen rank as one of Europe’s top pairs by advancing to the “final four” at the past three continental championships in Russia, Spain and Germany with bronze-medal placements in 2006 and 2007.

With both players being slowed by injuries since the start of the Beijing 2008 Olympic qualifying process, Hakedal and Torlen have competed in 78 FIVB events since forming

their partnership in 2002. The pair ended the 2006 season with a bronze-medal finish in Acapulco and a fourth place in Phuket.

Hakedal and Torlen started the Beijing process in 2007 with a silver medal at the season-opening event in Shanghai. After finishing fifth in the next FIVB event in Singapore, Hakedal and Torlen were slowed by various medical problems, finishing ninth or higher in only six of their next 16 starts.

After placing 17th, 13th, 17th, 25th and 17th in their first five FIVB events in 2008, Hakedal and Torlen have rebounded with fifth and ninth placements in Grand Slam stops in Norway and Russia, respectively, before advancing to the “final four” at the European Championships in Hamburg, Germany.

Team name: HakedalFirst name: Nila AnnLast name: HakedalBirth date: 13.06.1979Birth place: KristiansandHometown: Oslo Height: 177Weight: 71FIVB Exp: 9th seasonLanguage(s): Norwegian, EnglishWebsite: www.ingridnila.com

Team name: TorlenFirst name: IngridLast name: TorlenBirth date: 21.07.1979Birth place: AlesundHometown: OsloHeight: 174Weight: 70FIVB Exp: 8th seasonLanguage(s): Norwegian


placeEarning

US$

2008 8 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 4 26,8502007 12 0 1 1 0 2 1 2 0 5 46,4502006 14 0 0 1 1 2 2 4 2 2 55,7002005 14 0 0 0 0 1 3 2 3 5 40,9002004 14 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 10 23,8752003 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 8 14,0002002 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 2,9102001 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1502000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 150Total 87 0 2 2 1 7 6 16 6 47 210,985


placeEarning

US$

2008 8 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 4 26,8502007 13 0 1 1 0 2 1 2 0 6 46,4502006 14 0 0 1 1 2 2 4 2 2 55,7002005 14 0 0 0 0 1 3 2 3 5 40,9002004 14 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 10 23,8752003 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 8 14,0002002 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 2,9102001 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0Total 85 0 2 2 1 7 6 16 6 45 210,685


2007 Seoul KOR 25 2,0002007 Sentosa SIN 5 10,0002007 Shanghai CHN 2 22,0002006 Phuket THA 4 12,0002006 Acapulco MEX 3 16,0002006 Victoria BRA 5 10,0002006 Porto Santo POR 7 8,0002006 Warsaw POL 5 10,0002006 Klagenfurt AUT 9 7,7502006 Paris FRA 9 9,0002006 St. Petersburg RUS 7 8,0002006 Montréal CAN 9 6,0002006 Stavanger NOR 9 7,7502006 Gstaad SUI 17 4,9002006 Athens GRE 17 3,0002006 Shanghai CHN 13 4,5002006 Modena ITA 13 4,500


2008 Women’s CEV Champ. GER 2 15,0002008 Moscow RUS 9 8,0002008 Stavanger NOR 5 13,2002008 Paris FRA 17 5,1002008 Berlin GER 25 3,5002008 Stare Jablonki POL 17 2,5002008 Barcelona ESP 13 3,9002008 Shanghai CHN 17 2,5002007 St. Petersburg RUS 7 8,0002007 Women’s CEV Champ. ESP 3 10,5002007 Aland FIN 9 6,0002007 Kristiansand NOR 5 8,8002007 Gstaad SUI 17 7,0002007 Berlin GER 9 8,0002007 Stavanger NOR 25 3,5002007 Paris FRA 17 5,1002007 Espinho POR 25 2,000



62 63

Norway



Team results

www.fivb.org

Maaseide (Captain) Glesnes

Susanne Glesnes & Kathrine Maaseide

The longest-running partnership on the women’s FIVB tour features Susanne Glesnes and Kathrine Maaseide as the Norwegians have been competing together since 1999, with their career highlight being one of four Beach Volleyball teams from the Scandinavian country to compete at Athens 2004.

Maaseide joined her brother as one of five families to have two members participating in the Olympic Beach Volleyball competition since the introduction of the sport at the Atlanta 1996 Summer Games. Bjorn Maaseide played in the first three Olympic Beach Volleyball events with Jan Kvalheim (1996 and 2000) and Iver Horrem (2004).

The Norwegian partnership missed one year of competition together in 2005 due to child birth for Glesnes as Maaseide played the season and 15 events with Kristine Wiig. Glesnes/Maaseide restarted the next year and compiled enough

points to return to the Olympics with the hopes of bettering their 17th-place finish in Athens.

Maaseide’s brother attempted to qualify for Beijing with Horrem, but the pair could not finish higher than 17th in nine 2008 qualifying efforts to see Bjorn’s hope for a fourth Olympics disappear.

Glesnes’ and Maaseide’s best FIVB finishes have been fifths, including one at the 2007 Austrian Grand Slam in Klagenfurt. Other fifth-places were achieved in 2002 in France and Brazil, and 2006 in Warsaw as the pair was one match win away from qualifying for a FIVB “final four.”

While the Brazilian Salgado family has produced FIVB medals for the mother, son and daughters at different events, the Maaseides had a father (Bjorn), daughter (Kristina) and aunt (Kathrine) participate in the same international Beach Volleyball tournament at the 2007 Norwegian stop in Stavanger.

Team name: MaaseideFirst name: KathrineLast name: MaaseideBirth date: 18.12.1976Birth place: StavangerHometown: StavangerHeight: 182Weight: 72FIVB Exp: 10th seasonLanguage(s): Norwegian, English

Team name: GlesnesFirst name: SusanneLast name: GlesnesBirth date: 01.12.1974Birth place: BergenHometown: Nyborg/BergenHeight: 177Weight: 73FIVB Exp: 9th seasonLanguage(s): Norwegian


placeEarning

US$

2008 10 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 6 24,3002007 16 0 0 0 0 2 1 4 3 6 44,2002006 15 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 9 26,6002005 15 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 14 20,6252004 14 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 10 25,1252003 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 10 18,6882002 11 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 6 20,3032001 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 8 16,0752000 8 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 7 1,7501999 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 1,100Total 120 0 1 1 0 6 5 15 11 81 198,765


placeEarning

US$

2008 10 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 6 24,3002007 16 0 0 0 0 2 1 4 3 6 44,2002006 15 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 9 26,6002004 14 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 10 25,1252003 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 10 18,6882002 11 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 6 20,3032001 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 8 16,0752000 8 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 7 1,7501999 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 1,100Total 105 0 1 1 0 6 4 15 11 67 178,140


2007 Berlin GER 17 5,1002007 Montréal CAN 7 8,0002007 Stavanger NOR 9 8,0002007 Paris FRA 25 3,5002007 Espinho POR 25 2,0002007 Warsaw POL 13 4,5002007 Seoul KOR 9 6,0002007 Sentosa SIN 13 4,5002007 Shanghai CHN 9 6,0002006 Phuket THA 25 2,0002006 Acapulco MEX 7 8,0002006 Victoria BRA 9 6,0002006 Porto Santo POR 9 6,0002006 Warsaw POL 5 10,0002006 Klagenfurt AUT 33 02006 Paris FRA 25 3,4002006 St. Petersburg RUS 33 0


2008 Women’s CEV Champ. GER 3 10,5002008 Moscow RUS 9 8,0002008 Stavanger NOR 17 5,1002008 Paris FRA 17 5,1002008 Berlin GER 17 5,1002008 Stare Jablonki POL 9 5,5002008 Barcelona ESP 13 3,9002008 Osaka JPN 25 1,8002008 Shanghai CHN 25 1,8002008 Adelaide AUS 25 1,8002007 Fortaleza BRA 13 4,5002007 Women’s CEV Champ. ESP 5 5,5002007 Aland FIN 25 2,0002007 Kristiansand NOR 25 1,6002007 Klagenfurt AUT 5 13,2002007 Gstaad SUI 9 11,0002007 Marseille FRA 17 3,000



64 65

Norway



Team results

www.fivb.org

Uryadova (Captain) Shiryaeva

Alexandra Shiryaeva & Natalya Uryadova

The potential is there and the experience has been gained for Alexandra Shiryaeva and Natalya Uryadova as the pair becomes the first Russian women’s team to qualify for Olympic Beach Volleyball competition since the sport was introduced at the Atlanta 1996 Summer Games.

The unexpected winners of the 2006 European Championships where the Russians upset the second-, third-, fourth- and seventh-seeded teams enroute to the gold medal in The Hague, Shiryaeva and Uryadova have never regained the success achieved during their second season of competition together.

Shiryaeva and Uryadova placed seventh in their first-ever FIVB event together at a 2005 stop in Milan and the Russians posted their country’s first-ever women’s “final four” finish

on the international tour in Poland a week after winning the continental championships.

Shiryaeva, an FIVB U21 world champion in 2003 with Anna Morozova, and Uryadova posted a 31-30 match mark in their first 17 FIVB events. Since then, the pair has combined for a 22-42 record in their next 18 events with their best placement being a seventh at the 2007 St. Petersburg stop.

The Russians are capable, but lack consistency since winning the 2006 European title followed by a fourth place in Poland. The 31-year-old Uryadova, who has a son (Mischa), and 25-year-old Shiryaeva are hoping to rebound from a “sluggish” slate the past two years to take advantage of the Olympic format to match their potential achieved in 2006 and prove that their past experiences have been valuable.

Team name: UryadovaFirst name: NatalyaLast name: UryadovaBirth date: 15.03.1977Birth place: MoscowHometown: Kozolev, MoscowHeight: 181Weight: 71FIVB Exp: 6th seasonLanguage(s): Russian

Team name: ShiryaevaFirst name: AlexandraLast name: ShiryaevaBirth date: 09.02.1983Birth place: St. PetersburgHometown: St. PetersburgHeight: 185Weight: 73FIVB Exp: 5th season


placeEarning

US$

2008 9 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 7 20,9502007 11 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 8 25,7502006 10 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 8 15,4002005 7 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 4 11,9002004 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 02003 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1,000Total 41 0 0 0 2 1 2 3 2 31 75,000


placeEarning

US$

2008 9 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 7 20,9502007 11 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 8 25,7502006 10 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 8 15,4002005 7 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 4 11,9002003 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 38 1 0 0 2 1 2 3 2 27 74,000


2007 Paris FRA 25 3,5002007 Warsaw POL 17 3,0002007 Shanghai CHN 17 3,0002006 Victoria BRA 17 3,0002006 Warsaw POL 4 12,0002006 Klagenfurt AUT 25 3,4002006 Paris FRA 41 02006 St. Petersburg RUS 9 6,0002006 Marseille FRA 33 02006 Gstaad SUI 25 3,4002006 Athens GRE 17 3,0002006 Shanghai CHN 33 02006 Modena ITA 41 02005 Cape Town RSA 17 3,0002005 Bali INA 13 4,5002005 Klagenfurt AUT 13 6,3002005 Paris FRA 41 0


2008 Marseille FRA 5 8,5002008 Moscow RUS 17 5,1002008 Stavanger NOR 17 5,1002008 Paris FRA 17 5,1002008 Berlin GER 17 5,1002008 Osaka JPN 17 2,5002008 Seoul KOR 17 2,5002008 Shanghai CHN 17 2,5002008 Adelaide AUS 9 5,5002007 St. Petersburg RUS 7 8,0002007 Women’s CEV Champ. ESP 4 7,5002007 Kristiansand NOR 17 2,5002007 Klagenfurt AUT 25 3,5002007 Gstaad SUI 17 7,0002007 Marseille FRA 25 2,0002007 Berlin GER 9 8,0002007 Stavanger NOR 25 3,500



66 67

Russia



Team results

www.fivb.org

Augoustides (Captain) Nel

Judith Augoustides & Vitalila Nel

An unexpected retirement helped Vitalila Nel to achieve her Olympic “dream” as she and Judith Augoustides will represent the women’s Beach Volleyball players from the African continent at the Beijing 2008 Summer Games as part of the South African team.

Augoustides was close to qualification last summer when she and 2004 South African Olympian Leigh-Ann Naidoo played in seven FIVB events with Main Draw finishes in Montreal and at the World Championships in Switzerland. However, Naidoo decided to retire and 33-year-old Auguoustides was left to search for a new partner.

Enter the 32-year-old Nel, who had limited FIVB experience after moving to South Africa from the Ukraine where she got married

and gave birth to her daughter (Vivienne). Auguoustides also moved to South Africa from Germany where she played six seasons for the European country on the FIVB tour.

With Nel at her side, Augoustides achieved the required eight events for Beijing consideration as the pair missed qualifying for Main Draws in Korea and Japan. While Nel had played in only four FIVB events before this season, Augoustides had competed in 26 international events for Germany as she placed ninth at the 2003 World Championships in Rio de Janeiro with Helke Claasen.

Augoustides’ husband (Casey) and Patrik Flisberg missed an Olympic Beach Volleyball berth by two points after being passed at the final qualifying event in Marseille by Morais Abreu and Emanuel Fernandes as the Angolans qualified for their first-ever FIVB Main Draw.

Team name: AugoustidesFirst name: JudithLast name: AugoustidesBirth date: 10.04.1975Birth place: Cologne, GermanyHometown: Cape TownHeight: 187Weight: 74FIVB Exp: 2nd season

Team name: NelFirst name: VitalilaLast name: NelBirth date: 11.12.1975Birth place: Zaporozie, UkraineHometown: Cape TownHeight: 180Weight: 67FIVB Exp: 3rd season


placeEarning

US$

2008 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 02007 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 3,400Total 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 3,400


placeEarning

US$

2008 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 02007 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 02005 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1,000Total 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 1,000

Year Tournament Country Ranking Prize moneyYear Tournament Country Ranking Prize

money

2008 Moscow RUS 41 02008 Stavanger NOR 41 02008 Paris FRA 41 02008 Berlin GER 41 02008 Stare Jablonki POL 41 02008 Osaka JPN 33 02008 Seoul KOR 33 02008 Shanghai CHN 41 0



68 69

South Africa



Team results

0 0 0 0 0 1 www.fivb.org

Branagh (Captain) Youngs

Nicole Branagh & Elaine Youngs

Elaine Youngs will have the opportunity for her second Olympic Beach Volleyball medal as the 38-year-old teams with Nicole Branagh as the second American team in Beijing.

Youngs captured the Athens 2004 Olympic bronze medal with Holly McPeak with their only setback being in the semi-finals to compatriots Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. For the third spot on the Athens podium, Youngs and McPeak defeated Australians Natalie Cook and Nicole Sanderson.

Branagh and Youngs have competed in 19 FIVB events together with an 87-29 match mark. In their last 11 starts, the Americans have reached eight FIVB “final fours.” During the streak, Branagh and Youngs placed on the podium seven times with three title matches

and a gold medal at the 2008 Barcelona stop.With 12 seasons of international Beach Volleyball experience, Youngs has played in 94 FIVB events with 12 gold medals, 21 title matches, 38 podium placements and 51 “final four” appearances with six different partners. With the Barcelona gold medal, Youngs became the oldest women to win an FIVB event. She participated in the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Volleyball competition and missed qualifying on the beach for Sydney 2000 with Liz Masakayan.

Branagh is competing internationally for the third year with 24 FIVB events, including five starts with McPeak in 2006 when the pair placed fifth at the Gstaad Grand Slam stop. All nine of Branagh’s FIVB “final four” finishes have been with Youngs with seven medals and three title match appearances.

Team name: BranaghFirst name: NicoleLast name: BranaghBirth date: 31.01.1979Birth place: Orinda, Calif.Hometown: Torrance, Calif.Height: 187Weight: 79FIVB Exp: 3rd season

Team name: YoungsFirst name: ElaineLast name: YoungsNickname: EyBirth date: 14.02.1970Birth place: El Toro, Calif.Hometown: Durango, Colo.Height: 183Weight: 65FIVB Exp: 12th seasonLanguage(s): EnglishSponsor(s): Oakley


placeEarning

US$

2008 8 1 1 2 1 2 0 1 0 0 68,4502007 8 0 1 2 0 3 0 2 0 0 57,2002006 8 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 4 21,450Total 24 1 2 4 2 7 0 3 1 4 147,100


placeEarning

US$

2008 8 1 1 2 1 2 0 1 0 0 68,4502007 8 0 1 2 0 3 0 2 0 0 57,2002006 8 0 0 0 3 2 0 1 1 1 39,4002005 7 0 1 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 56,7002004 8 2 1 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 66,2502003 7 0 1 0 2 1 0 3 0 0 44,0002002 8 4 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 73,5082001 10 2 2 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 88,7502000 11 3 0 0 0 1 3 3 0 1 59,5001997-99 19 0 1 3 2 6 2 2 1 2 84,075Total 94 12 9 17 13 18 7 12 2 4 637,833


2006 Acapulco MEX 13 4,5002006 Victoria BRA 4 12,000


2008 Moscow RUS 2 29,5002008 Stavanger NOR 5 13,2002008 Paris FRA 3 23,0002008 Berlin GER 5 13,2002008 Barcelona ESP 1 28,0002008 Osaka JPN 9 5,5002008 Seoul KOR 3 14,0002008 Adelaide AUS 4 10,5002007 Phuket THA 2 22,0002007 Fortaleza BRA 3 16,0002007 St. Petersburg RUS 3 16,0002007 Klagenfurt AUT 9 8,0002007 Gstaad SUI 5 18,0002007 Berlin GER 5 13,2002007 Stavanger NOR 9 8,0002007 Paris FRA 5 13,2002006 Phuket THA 5 10,000



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United States



Team results

1 0 0 1 0 0 www.fivb.org

Walsh (Captain) May-Treanor

Misty May-Treanor & Kerri Walsh

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh will be seeking their second Olympic medal after capturing the Athens 2004 Summer Games title by winning all eight of their matches as the No. 1-seeded team in the competition with a gold-medal win over Adriana Behar and Shelda of Brazil

May-Treanor and Walsh also top the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games’ qualifying list with 6,440 points for their best-eight FIVB finishes since May 2007. The only blemish in missing a “perfect” Beijing mark was a semi-final setback to Jia Tian and Jie Wang of China at the 2007 Norwegian Grand Slam.

With 58 international participations since forming their partnership in 2001, May-Treanor and Walsh have won a record 34

FIVB titles while claiming 49 medals. With a 339-35 FIVB career record, the Americans have won their last 62 matches. Since June 2007, May-Treanor and Walsh have topped the international podium in 10 of their next 11 events. May-Treanor and Walsh have won 75 of their last 76 FIVB matches.

May-Treanor and Walsh have won the last three SWATCH FIVB World Championships by defeating Adriana Behar/Shelda (2003, Rio de Janeiro), Juliana/Larissa of Brazil (2005, Berlin) and Tian/Wang (2007, Gstaad).

Both players are married to professional athletes. May-Treanor is wedded to Matt Treanor, a Major League Baseball catcher for the Florida Marlins. Walsh is married to Beach Volleyball player Casey Jennings, who finished third on the American men’s 2008 Olympic qualifying list with Matt Fuerbringer.

Team name: WalshFirst name: KerriLast name: WalshBirth date: 15.08.1978Birth place: Santa Clara, Calif. Hometown: Hermosa Beach, Calif.Height: 190Weight: 70FIVB Exp: 8th seasonLanguage(s): EnglishWebsite: www.kerriwalsh.com

Team name: May-TreanorFirst name: MistyLast name: May-TreanorBirth date: 30.07.1977Birth place: Costa Mesa, Calif.Hometown: Coral Springs, Fla.Height: 177Weight: 68FIVB Exp: 10th seasonLanguage(s): EnglishSponsor(s): Mikasa, Nautica, Bolle, Gatorade, XBOXWebsite: www.mistymay.com


placeEarning

US$

2008 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 65,2502007 8 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 154,7502006 8 3 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 100,7002005 7 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 131,5002004 8 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 91,0002003 8 5 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 126,0002002 11 5 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 97,5702001 9 1 3 1 0 0 1 3 0 0 60,500Total 62 36 10 7 2 1 1 4 0 1 827,270


placeEarning

US$

2008 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 65,2502007 8 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 154,7502006 8 3 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 100,7002005 7 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 131,5002004 5 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 43,0002003 8 5 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 126,0002002 11 5 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 97,5702001 9 1 2 2 0 0 1 3 0 0 58,5002000 11 3 4 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 90,0001999 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2,250Total 71 37 13 7 3 4 1 5 0 1 869,520


2006 Athens GRE 1 32,0002006 Modena ITA 2 22,0002005 Cape Town RSA 1 32,0002005 Acapulco MEX 2 22,0002005 Salvador BRA 1 32,0002005 Klagenfurt AUT 1 41,5002005 Paris FRA 1 41,5002005 Espinho POR 1 32,0002005 Berlin GER 1 62,0002004 Athens Olympic Games GRE 1 02004 Berlin GER 17 5,0002004 Gstaad SUI 1 27,0002004 Rhodes GRE 1 27,0002004 Fortaleza BRA 1 27,0002003 Rio de Janeiro BRA 1 60,0002003 Los Angeles USA 1 45,0002003 Klagenfurt AUT 1 40,000


2008 Stavanger NOR 1 43,5002008 Paris FRA 1 43,5002008 Berlin GER 1 43,5002007 Phuket THA 1 32,0002007 Fortaleza BRA 1 32,0002007 Klagenfurt AUT 1 43,5002007 Gstaad SUI 1 60,0002007 Berlin GER 1 43,5002007 Montréal CAN 1 32,0002007 Stavanger NOR 3 23,0002007 Paris FRA 1 43,5002006 Phuket THA 3 16,0002006 Acapulco MEX 1 32,0002006 Victoria BRA 3 16,0002006 Klagenfurt AUT 5 12,8002006 Paris FRA 2 28,3002006 Gstaad SUI 1 42,300



72 73

United States

Documents

2008 Women’s · best eight finishes during the qualifying period from May 2007 through July 20, 2008. The qualifying process for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games was not an easy one