Thanks to their performances in this weekend’s FIVB Moscow Grand Slam, two American men’s beach volleyball duos have secured spots in the Rio Olympics.
Nick Lucena and Phil Dalhausser took 17th in Moscow, losing to Italians Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo in the first round of elimination play. Although this was a low finish for the duo, Dalhausser and Lucena’s participation in the event marked 12 Olympic-qualifying tournaments they have played together, the minimum required to earn a berth. Ranked No. 4 in the Provisional Olympics Rankings, they are well inside the top 15 cutoff.
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Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson also qualified thanks to a fourth-place finish in Moscow. Their performance helped improve their Olympic ranking and move them out of reach of next-highest ranking American duo John Hyden and Tri Bourne, no matter what happens in next week’s Hamburg Grand Slam, the final event of the Olympic qualification period.
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Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross secured their Rio berth last week at the Cincinnati Open, but the second Olympic spot on the women’s side has yet to be determined. Jen Kessy and Emily Day took a 17th in Moscow, too low a finish to improve their Olympic standing. Now, to surpass Lauren Fendrick and Brooke Sweat in the rankings, they will have to finish first or second in the Hamburg Grand Slam and hope that Fendrick and Sweat finish lower than ninth.
Nick Lucena and Phil Dalhausser took 17th in Moscow, losing to Italians Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo in the first round of elimination play. Although this was a low finish for the duo, Dalhausser and Lucena’s participation in the event marked 12 Olympic-qualifying tournaments they have played together, the minimum required to earn a berth. Ranked No. 4 in the Provisional Olympics Rankings, they are well inside the top 15 cutoff.
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Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson also qualified thanks to a fourth-place finish in Moscow. Their performance helped improve their Olympic ranking and move them out of reach of next-highest ranking American duo John Hyden and Tri Bourne, no matter what happens in next week’s Hamburg Grand Slam, the final event of the Olympic qualification period.
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Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross secured their Rio berth last week at the Cincinnati Open, but the second Olympic spot on the women’s side has yet to be determined. Jen Kessy and Emily Day took a 17th in Moscow, too low a finish to improve their Olympic standing. Now, to surpass Lauren Fendrick and Brooke Sweat in the rankings, they will have to finish first or second in the Hamburg Grand Slam and hope that Fendrick and Sweat finish lower than ninth.