Brazilian star keeping it in the family

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Brazil’s Pedro Solberg roars with delight during a break in play at our Porec Major in June last year. Photocredit: Tomislav Moze/Red Bull Content Pool

Behind every great beach volleyball player is a great woman. It’s like behind every great beach volleyball tournament is an amazing beach volleyball tournament organizer…

However, in Pedro Solberg’s case that woman happens to be his mother!

Naturally it helps that this mother is none other than Isabel Salgado, a successful beach volleyball player in her own right. In fact, it’s worth noting that she scooped one gold, two silvers and two bronze medals in just six tournaments in one season some 22 years ago. Not bad, huh?

Solberg has gone on to make the most of his pedigree. He won two golds in the Under-21 World Championship – which finished in the weekend just gone – in 2003 and 2006, and has become one of the game’s most talented players.

We saw that for ourselves at our own Major tournaments last year with a bronze in the World Beach Volleyball FIVB World Tour Finals in Fort Lauderdale, and now the 30-year-old says his mother’s input has helped him realize his Olympic dream after missing out on the past two Games in 2008 and 2012.

“My mum is an incredible woman, sometimes we talk volleyball and she will give me her advice,” Rio-born Pedro told the FIVB YouTube channel.

“I ask her to practice where she can tell me what she thinks. She watches all my games and calls me right after to give me her point of view.

“I have fought for this for so long. I was so close to making the Olympics twice and didn’t make it so I was very happy to have finished in second place of the World Tour to get our spot.

“To have this kind of pressure and to be able to play in the Olympics, especially at home, is exactly what I expected for my life.”

But of course each individual player is nothing without their partner on court – and when that particular person stands towering beside you at an intimidating 6ft 11in, you know you’re in business. You might have heard of him – Evandro Gonçalves…

“Evandro is a guy I like so much outside of the court,” says Solberg on his team-mate. “We have such a good connection. I’ve always believed in him.

“I was the one that called him to play with me. I always believed that our team could work together. I knew it would be hard with us being two blockers, but I could see that our chemistry could overcome the difficult things we would face.”

And it’s that on-court understanding that we’re really looking forward to seeing in summer – but remember to thank your mum if you win Pedro!