The Olympic race for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games officially began in February in Doha, Qatar, with the Volleyball World Elite16. The final event is yet to be determined, but the qualification period will conclude on June 9, 2024. We’ll be providing these updates for the Beach Volleyball Olympic rankings throughout the next two years.
With their second consecutive gold medal — and third straight, when accounting for the South American Continental Championships — this one coming at the Edmonton Challenge on Sunday, Brazil’s Barbara and Carol have taken the No. 1 spot in the Olympic rankings, where Brazil currently boasts three of the top four teams.
Meanwhile, Portugal’s Hugo Campos and Joao Pedrosa won the first international gold medal for Portugal in 24 years — yet still remain outside of the top 24 in the Olympic rankings. The Beach Pro Tour is just that deep.
A heavy USA contingent, meanwhile, struggled. Only Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles made it to the quarterfinals, where they fell to Switzerland’s Zoe Verge-Depre and Esmee Bobner. Both Terese Cannon and Sarah Sponcil, and Kelley Kolinske and Hailey Harward, finished ninth, and five teams — Emily Stockman and Megan Kraft, Molly Turner and Maddie Anderson, Savvy Simo and Toni Rodriguez, Zana Muno and Deahna Kraft, Brook Bauer and Katie Horton — didn’t make it out of the qualifier.
The men didn’t fare much better.
Tri Bourne and Chaim Schalk, and Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander, both lost in the ninth place rounds after winning pool play. Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner settled for 17th after winning their first gold medal in Espinho, Portugal the week before. Chase Budinger and Miles Evans failed to break pool, and another three teams — Tim Brewster and Kyle Friend, Troy Field and Evan Cory, Adam Roberts and Jake Urrutia — all bowed out in the qualifier.
Men’s Beach Volleyball Olympic Rankings
(updated July 25 after the Volleyball World Edmonton Challenge)
- Anders Mol, Christian Sorum, NORWAY, 5700 (5)
- Andre Loyola, George Wanderley, BRAZIL, 5420 (8)
- Evandro Goncalves, Arthur Mariano, BRAZIL, 5080 (9)
- Adrian Gavira, Pablo Herrera, SPAIN, 4580 (8)
- Thomas Hodges, Zachery Schubert, AUSTRALIA, 4400 (9)
- David Ahman, Jonatan Hellvig, SWEDEN, 4280 (4)
- Esteban Grimalt, Marco Grimalt, CHILE, 4200 (7)
- Theo Brunner, Trevor Crabb, USA, 4180 (8)
- Vitor Felipe,…
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