Rio de Janeiro, August 3, 2016 – Louise Bawden and Taliqua Clancy will encounter unknown opponents when they open the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games women’s beach volleyball tournament against Natalia Alfaro and Karen Cope-Charles of Costa Rica, a team they have not faced previously.
The match is due to start at 12.00 (local time) at the 12,500 Olympic Games Arena on Copacabana Beach and pitches the Australian duo, regulars on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, against a team that qualifed for Rio 2016 by winning the NORCECA Continental Cup Final.
“First is always a good place to be and I hope that sets a good tone for the tournament,” Bawden said. “We’ve never played them before and they’re pretty athletic girls and we’re expecting to face a team that will be really hungry to come out and shake it up.
“It will be a good contest, but I’m confident that we will be able to win.”
For Bawden Rio 2016 is her third Olympic Games. She played alongside Becchara Palmer at London 2012 and was also part of the Australia volleyball team that competed in her home Olympics at Sydney 2000.
By contrast Clancy is set to make her Olympic debut on Saturday having made her senior World Tour debut at the London 2012 test event in 2011.
“We’re really fortunate because both of our coaches have had multiple Olympic Games so understanding the Olympic format and the things to watch out for an expect at this tournament is a great way to help us prepare and maintain our focus and be ready to perform at our best.
“The beauty of this format is you know well in advance who is in your pool and how to prepare for those matches. Three matches over a week is significant and you can’t get ahead of yourself. I have every faith that we will be able to go deep into this tournament.”
Alfaro and Cope-Charles qualified for Rio 2016 when they helped Costa Rica win the Continental Cup Final against Mexico.
They also enjoyed a win on the NORCECA Tour when they won gold at the Cayman Islands tournament to show that they will be no pushovers when they make their own and Costa Rica’s debut in an Olympic beach volleyball tournament.
“It’s incredible,” Alfaro said. “To be here, to know that we qualified for the first time and made history for Costa Rica gives us pride and happiness that is very difficult to explain. It was a long process and very difficult – a lot of work, and being here is the result of all that