Olympic Beach Volleyball Rankings, updated April 15

The race for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games officially began in February 2023 in Doha, Qatar, with the Volleyball World Elite16. The 2024 season began the first week of March back in Doha, and the final event of the Olympic qualification cycle will be the Ostrava Elite16, which ends on June 9. We’ll be providing these updates for the Beach Volleyball Olympic rankings throughout the next two years.

Within an hour or so after Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner won gold at the Guadalajara Challenge, the messages came pouring in: Did that seal the deal?

Are Crabb and Brunner going to the Paris Olympics?

Maybe. A gold medal, and the 800 points that come with it, certainly do not hurt the cause of Brunner and Crabb. They are now the No. 2 USA men’s team by a 480-point margin over Chase Budinger and Miles Evans. But the race is far from over, and even that lead is still a touch deceiving.

Budinger and Evans won a critical qualifier to represent the USA at the NORCECA Continental Finals in May. It’s an event that is worth the same points as a Challenge, but without the formidable field typical of Challenge level events. Barring something extraordinary, they are almost guaranteed a semifinal appearance and a minimum of 680 points, though more can reasonably be expected. Crabb and Brunner’s gold gave them a comfortable cushion for when Budinger and Evans inevitably rake in a bounty of NORCECA points prior to the final three qualifying events, in Portugal, Poland, and Ostrava bridging the end of May and early June.

The gold is helpful, yes. Immensely so. But it is hardly a guarantee of anything, other than the point threshold for a USA team to punch their ticket to Paris continues to get higher.

It is nearly the identical story being written by Zoe Verge-Depre and Esmee Bobner, the young Swiss pair who continues to flip positions with Anouk Verge-Depre and Joana Mader. In four tournaments this season, the lead has switched four times, though Zoe and Bobner’s gold in Guadalajara gives them the most breathing room they’ve had all year, a 220-point edge that is nice but, like Brunner and Crabb’s lead, far from comfortable.

The next Olympic qualifying event is an Elite16 in Tepic Mexico, that begins with a qualifier on Wednesday.

Men’s Beach Volleyball Olympic Rankings

(updated April 15 after the Guadalajara Challenge)

1. Anders Mol, Christian Sorum, NORWAY, 10460 (10)
2. David Ahman, Jonatan Hellvig, SWEDEN, 10020 (9)
3. Nils Ehlers, Clemens Wickler, GERMANY, 9100 (12)
4. Andre…