Brazil expected to shine at Olympics beach volleyball games

Olympics

Brazil expected to shine at Olympics beach volleyball games

Beach volleyball is perhaps the sport most closely associated with Brazil. And it is expected to shine this year on Rio’s sands during the Olympic Games.

CCTV’s Lucrecia Franco takes a look at the sport that has given Brazil more than just medals.
Follow Lucrecia C. Franco on Twitter @LucreciaFranco

Ipanema became worldwide famous for bossa nova music but this stretch of sand in Rio has been serving as the practice court of Brazil’s Olympic beach volleyball hopefuls.

In their last public appearance before the games, Pedro Solberg and teammate Evandro Goncalves as one of two teams representing Brazil said they were dreaming with gold.

Brazilian teams have won the most medals of any nation – 11 of 30 – since beach volleyball was added as an Olympic sport in Atlanta 1996, but just two golds.

Beach volleyball for the games will take place in a stadium in Copacabana where 96 players from 24 countries will be competing at what is considered the spiritual home of the sport.

The 12,000 seat stadium is still being finished but it is located in the same place where beach volleyball arrived in Rio back in the 1930’s.