Gr-eight news for latest Olympic qualifiers

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Cuba are going to the Olympics! Photocredit: FIVB.

The jostling for Olympic ranking positions will continue for those players already assured of a place on the Copacabana at the eagerly-anticipated Poreč Major this week– but over the weekend eight countries celebrated booking their tickets to Brazil.

The Continental Cup reached its dramatic conclusion across Europe, Asia, Oceania, South America and North and Central America.

Throughout the world there was joy, pain and nerves in equal measure as nations battled it out Davis Cup-style to reach Rio.

There was joy unconfined for men’s teams from Austria, Cuba, Chile and Qatar who will all be represented at the Olympics. Add to the party Tunisia, who won their Continental Cup back in April.

Meanwhile, there was delighted for the women of the Netherlands, Costa Rica, Venezuela and Australia who all booked spots on the sand in South America – who, together with Egypt, will be heading for the house of beach volleyball.

Of course, Olympic qualification is no easy thing to get your head around, and there’s still two tickets up for grabs as 22 teams go into battle at next week’s Continental Cup finals in Sochi, Russia.

Ten men’s teams – Morocco, Angola, Belgium, Russia, Canada, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela, China and Kazakhstan – will compete for the one final spot on the beach in Brazil.

For the women it’s 12, as teams from Rwanda, Nigeria, Russia, Ukraine, Austria, Mexico, Cuba, Argentina, Uruguay, Columbia, Vanuatu and China eye that one final place.

Once the final two places are decided attention will quickly turn to our very own Gstaad Major where all the teams will know their fate as the draw for the Olympic groups will be made.

Congratulations to those that made it through and good luck to those that head to Russia!