Brazil’s beach volleyball stars will begin what is sure to be a huge year for them when the Brazil Beach Volleyball Tour returns with a stop in Niterói at the end of January (28 – 31).

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Hannes Jagerhofer surrounded by Alison (left) and Bruno (right), who won the Swatch Beach volleyball FIVB World Tour Finals in Fort Lauderdale, are aiming for more glory in 2016. Photocredit: tinefoto.com | martin steinthaler

The tournament starts the countdown to the biggest ever year in Brazilian beach volleyball that concludes with the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games, with the beach volleyball taking place on Copacabana Beach.

Brazil currently boasts world champions in both the men’s and women’s divisions after Alison Cerutti and Bruno Schmidt won men’s gold at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in The Netherlands 2015, and Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas won gold in the women’s competition. 

Alison and Bruno have already been assured of their place at Rio 2016, as have women’s duo Larissa Franca and Talita Antunes, who also won the spectacular Swatch Beach Volleyball FIVB World Tour Finals in Fort Lauderdale.

Athletes will enjoy a taste of what is to come later in the year when the Rio de Janeiro Grand Slam takes place from March 8-13. It is the third FIVB Beach Volleyball tournament in 2016 and the second of three consecutive tournaments to take place in Brazil after the Maceio Open from February 23-28 and before the Vitoria Open that runs from March 15-20.