Home teams out to end the wait for a medal on Canadian soil

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Can Saxton/Schalk continue their good form and medal on home sand? Photocredit: Andreas Langreiter.

It’s not long now! And if you’re as excited as us, you will have probably spent hours watching our countdown clock tick down on the front page of our website.

But don’t worry! It’s almost a week until the Swatch Beach Volleyball FIVB World Tour Finals kicks off in front of the dramatic Toronto skyline – and with it a wait of 16 long years since the great city last hosted an international beach volleyball tournament will be over.

Yes, you have to turn back the clocks and go back in time to the year 2000 for the last time Toronto had the sport on its doorstep for the Nokia Canada Open.

Back then the Canadian fans had home heroes John Child and Mark Heese to get behind as the Olympic bronze medalists from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics went all the way to the final and picked up a silver medal.

The home team lost to Loiola/Emanuel in the final as the Brazilians made it a double following Shelda/Adriana’s success in the women’s division.

But it’s not been since 2011 that the senior tour descended on Canadian shores for the Quebec Open – a tournament two Americans who compete next week will remember well. Phil Dalhausser won gold with then-partner Todd Rogers…beating a certain Nick Lucena and Matt Fuerbringer in the final. In the women’s competition Talita, with teammate Maria Antontelli, won gold. Liliana/Elsa – one of the longest-serving teams heading to Toronto – finished fourth.

Promising young Polish pair Kantor/Losiak also have good vibes about Canada as they lifted the FIVB under-21 championship title in 2012 – the last time an international event was held in the country. And Switzerland’s Anouk Vergé-Dépré also won the women’s gold.

However, Canada’s success in sending four teams to the Rio Olympics bodes well for the home beach fans of this volleyball-crazy country. Doesn’t it? And can history be made? No Canadian team has won a gold medal on home soil in FIVB competition – while no women’s team has won a medal of any color.

With the support of a packed-out Center Court behind the Canadian teams – who knows what is possible at Polson Pier!

Right, we’re off to stare at the countdown clock again…see you soon Toronto.