GB Volleyball Team Granted 2012 Places
The British Olympic Association (BOA) has granted places to Great Britain’s men’s and women’s beach volleyball teams for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
On current standings, the decision will allow one men’s and one women’s pairing to take part in the competition – which will be held at Horse Guards Parade, between 28th July and 9th August.
However, a second pairing would be able to join them – if they were able to secure a top-16 world ranking before the end of June 2012.
The news comes as a welcome boost to the men’s team in particular, after the team lost its funding following the UK Sports budget shortfall back in 2009.
Men’s beach volleyball and women’s indoor volleyball suffered after it was one of the eight sports to lose funding following the 2009 announcement.
Denise Johns, who is ranked 40th in the world with beach volleyball partner Lucy Boulton, said: ‘It is fantastic news that the British Olympic Association has recognised our potential to achieve our very best at London 2012’.
There is still a chance of two women’s teams representing the sport for Great Britain, as Shauna Mullin and Zara Dampney are ranked 60th in the world – with an outside chance of making the Games – should one of the pairing make it to the top 16.
Johns added: ‘We haven’t finished yet. Our dream is to vindicate the incredibly hard work we have been doing and make sure not just one but both teams play in London’.
The utilisation of the Host Nation Places is subject to the Great Britain representatives meeting the national governing body’s Olympic selection criteria – which will be agreed with the BOA Olympic Qualifying Standards Panel in the next few months.
BOA director of sport Clive Woodward added: ‘Beach volleyball is a fast, tactical and dynamic sport and we are very pleased that Britain’s best players now have the opportunity to earn their place and showcase their talent on the biggest stage of all’.
Beach volleyball now joins the growing list of sports to take up Home Nation Places at the London 2012 Olympic Games, along with basketball, table tennis, judo, handball, indoor volleyball, water polo and weightlifting.
