Aussie beach volleyballers all set for China Olympics
July 20, 2008
The Australians who will be representing the country in the China Olympics beach volleyball tournament to be held in Beijing have been announced. One women’s pairing and one men’s pairing have qualified. The teams are:
Tamsin Barnett (VIC) and Natalie Cook (QLD)
Andrew Schacht (SA) and Joshua Slack (QLD)
Cook who is one half of the most successful Australian Olympic beach volleyball duo now makes her way to her fourth consecutive Olympics. In Atlanta, Sydney and Athens Cook teamed up with Kerri Pottharst to win a bronze medal in 1996 and a gold in front of their home crowed at the 2000 games played on Bondi Beach.
Pottharst has retired from the sport and 33-year old Cook now plays with 28-year old Tamsin Barnett. The duo have had success since pairing up and won an FIVB tour event in Seoul last year. This was just their third outing together. Since pairing up they have been consistent top ten finishers. In the 2008 season they picked up a fourth place finnish in Osaka.
Barnett has successfully made a transition from indoor volleyball to the beach as she represented Australia indoors at the Sydney Olympics. Barnett who is 193cm was voted the most improved player on the FIVB tour last year. She first started on the FIVB world beach tour in 2005.
Cook and Barnett would have to be given a good chance to take a medal home from the China Olympics.
In the men’s competition 35-year old Andrew Schacht and 31-Joshua Slack look to improve on their Athens 9th place finnish. Slack is playing his third Olympic beach volleyball tournament having also played in the Sydney Olympics with Matt Grinlaubs.
Last year at the beach volleyball world championships Schacht and Slack showed the volleyball world that they are a top class pairing as they took the bronze medal. Since then their form has been a bit up and down as they have placed 17th, 7th, 17th and 3rd in the four FIVB tournaments contested in 2008. In 2007 the Aussie’s also went well in the Montreal FIVB event taking second spot. They went close to snatching the tournament win, going down in the third set 18-16.
Going into the Beijing Olympic beach volleyball tournament Slack and Schacht would have to be given a chance of grabbing an Olympic medal. The conditions will be tough at the Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground.
I have managed to get a ticket to one of the Olympic beach volleyball sessions. With a bit of luck I will get to see some Aussie’s in action.
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