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Beach volleyball 28/06/2013

Sinjin Smith: Beach volleyball undergoing a changing of the guard

Lausanne, Switzerland, June 28, 2013 – On the eve of the ninth FIVB
Beach Volleyball World Championships (in its current format), beach volleyball legend Sinjin Smith sat
down with FIVB.org to shares his thoughts ahead of events in Poland.

“The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships
are much like the Olympics in that the more experienced players with a history
of success know what it takes to prepare for them. They will hope to be able to
dig deep into their experience at the right time to bring home victory.”

“We know who the experienced teams are and we
will expect great things from them; teams such as Brazil’s Emanuel Rego and
Alison Cerutti and USA’s Phil Dalhausser and Sean Rosenthal.”

“That said as we get close to crowning the 2013
Men's World Champions, it does strike me that the sport is undergoing a
changing of the guard.”

“We have new young teams with less experience
but youth, desire and something to prove. The young teams showed us they were
on the move at the London 2012 Olympic Games and have carried that form on in
this year’s FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour.”

“Italy’s Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo caught
everyone’s attention when they ended Dalhausser and Todd Roger’s reign as
Olympic champions, while Janis Smedins was one of three Latvian medallists at
London 2012. He has brought that form with him into his new partnership with
Aleksandrs Samoilovs and they already have one gold and two silvers to their
names.”

“New combinations are always scary especially
when they show you they can win right away. Look out for USA’s Jake Gibb and
Casey Patterson and Brazil’s Pedro Salgado and Bruno Oscar Schmidt as both
teams have already enjoyed success this year and they will definitely be hungry
for more.”

“Local favourites Grzegorz Fijalek and Mariusz
Prudel will also be an interesting team to watch to see if home court advantage
and the crowd behind them will make the difference or whether it put extra
pressure on them and keep them from playing the way they can when at their
best.”

“The reason why no one team will dominate this year is
because the field of athletes is so strong that as many as 10 teams can win and
many more can beat those winners. This makes for a very exciting year ahead of
us and all eyes will be on the FIVB World Championships to see if youth beats
experience.”

Sinjin Smith is a beach volleyball Olympian and
world-champion, dominating men's beach volleyball from the late 1980s to the
early 1990s with partner Randy Stokles, as the "kings of the beach."
Smith is a member of the International Volleyball Hall of Fame (2003) and the
California Beach Volleyball Hall of Fame (2002). He was instrumental in
developing the World Tour in the beginning of FIVB beach volleyball and
developing beach volleyball as an Olympic sport while serving as president of
the FIVB World Council. Smith also was instrumental in developing Olympic
programs and guidelines for organizers, as well as developing professional
beach volleyball in the USA, including getting it aired on TV. Since
retirement, Smith has worked to develop youth, collegiate, amateur and beach
volleyball is the USA. He continues to serve on the FIVB Beach Volleyball
Commission, to oversee the World Tour and Olympic Program. His efforts helped
the World Tour return to the USA in 2013, with the Long Beach Grand Slam, to be
held July 22-27, 2013.

Other FIVB Blogs

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Nikola Grbic - “Serbia
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Gustavo Endres - Brazil on track to win World League title – Gustavo

Tom Hoff – “If there’s anyone who can do it, it’s John Speraw” - Hoff

Andrea Zozi - Teams must 'give their all at every opportunity’ says Zorzi

Martin Laciga – ‘It was a result which I for one was not expecting
to see’ – Martin Laciga

Natalie Cook - Bring on the World Cup – Nat Cook

Sinjin Smith - Sinjin Smith: 'There’s a lot of excitement this season'

Tom Hoff - Change is difficult, but also necessary

Andrea Zorzi - Italy, Poland, Russia & Brazil picks for World League – Zorzi

Martin Laciga - Expect a Fuzhou-repeat in Shanghai

Natalie Cook - Natalie Cook pleased with “A great start to the new season”

Sandra Pires - “2013 can be anyone’s year” says Sandra Pires

Andrea Zorzi - Andrea Zorzi looks forward to this year’s World League action

Stacy Sykora - Women’s volleyball looking forward to bumper year

Natalie Cook - Keep an eye on the Chinese in 2013

Hugh McCutcheon - Feeling good about US women’s coach

Martin Laciga - It's time to pass the ball to younger players

Tom Hoff - This is volleyball, and anything can happen

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