Information and photo courtesy of volleyball.org.au
Olympic silver medallists Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar, along with Olympic debutants Thomas Hodges and Zachery Schubert, were announced on Friday to the Australian Olympic Team for Paris 2024 at Adelaide Oval.
Taliqua and Mariafe will again join forces for the women’s beach volleyball event after their history-making performances in Tokyo.
This will mark both athletes third Olympic appearance, tying them for the second-most Olympic appearances in Australian beach volleyball history with Kerri Pottharst, Julien Prosser and Josh Slack, behind five-time Olympian Natalie Cook.
Thomas and Zachery will make their Olympic debut in the men’s beach volleyball in Paris, following a competitive qualification period.
Both pairs finished the ranking period in the top 17 to earn a Paris 2024 quota, with Schubert and Hodges ranked 16th and Clancy and Artacho 12th after an injury interrupted start to the year.
Today’s announcement brings the Australian Olympic Team size to 139 athletes of an expected 460 athletes to compete in Paris.
Australia has a chance to qualify a further men’s team to contest the Beach Volleyball tournament in Paris, through the AVC Beach Volleyball Continental Cup commencing in China next week.
Australian Olympic Team Deputy Chef de Mission and four-time Water Polo Olympian Bronwen Knox announced the team’s selection in Adelaide, which will host the 2025 Beach Volleyball World Championships.
“I am thrilled to announce Mariafe, Taliqua, Zachery, and Thomas to the Australian Team for Paris 2024,” said Ms Knox.
“Being named to your first Olympic Team is an incredible milestone, reflecting years of hard work and dedication. But being named to your third Olympic Team is a rare achievement and is a testament to Mariafe and Taliqua’s unwavering pursuit of excellence.
“I look forward to watching these athletes compete on the Olympic stage beneath the Eiffel Tower in just over 40 days’ time.
“Congratulations to each of the athletes, as well as the coaches, family, friends, supporters and Volleyball Australia who made this possible.”
Olympic silver medallist Mariafe Artacho Del Solar said she was grateful for the opportunity to represent Australia at her third Olympic Games.
“It’s an honour to play in my third Olympics, and I am proud of all the commitment and determination it has taken to get there,” the 30-year-old said.
“There’s a feeling of…
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