Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 28, 2013 – This year may have been the first time that Pedro Salgado and Bruno Oscar Schmidt have played together in seven years, but they have already positioned themselves among the top teams in the world rankings.
The pair knew each other well having won the FIVB U21 World Championships in 2006, but since then they have moved around partners, gaining experience on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour before they reunited at the start of this year.
They have exceeded expectations and showed their potential on the Brazilian Tour when they won eight of the 10 stops and then carried that form on in the World Tour where they won gold at The Hague Grand Slam, silver in Shanghai and bronze at the Rome Grand Slam.
"When we finished the national circuit, we knew that we were starting something new,” Pedro said. “But we were sure that we could also work together on the World Tour and even if the partnership was formed in such a short time, we had played well. I'm very happy and pleased to be playing alongside Bruno,"
Pedro will be competing in his fourth World Championships. His first was in 2007 in Gstaad where he played with Harley and finished in 17th place. He achieved the same result two years later when he lined up alongside Pedro Cunha in Stavanger and then at Rome 2011 he and Rhooney Ferramenta made it all the way to the quarterfinals.
“I never had the opportunity to play a World Championships as a senior player,” Pedro said. “In 2007, I was 21 years old and very new and there for the experience. In the other two I was supposed to play with Pedro Cunha and he was injured both times.
"At the 2009 tournament we had to leave in the middle of the tournament and, in 2011 he was injured on the eve of the tournament. Nonetheless Ferramenta and I had a good result, but even so this will be in effect my first World Championships.”
The 26-year-old Bruno is set to compete in his third World Championships, after a ninth-place finish with Benjamin Insfran at Rome 2011 and a 17th-place with Joao Maciel at Stavanger 2009.
“We get on well as a team on and off the court,” Bruno said. “I can’t deny that our good results give us even more confidence to fight for the title. The World Championships are second only to the Olympics and we will do our utmost to win it, though we will respect all our opponents.
“I feel much more energized and confident than I did at the other two World Championships. With Pedro I see a real chance of us beating any opponent.”
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