Canadians seal final place in Rio

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Josh Binstock and Sam Schachter celebrate reaching Rio. Photocredit: Volleyball Canada.

At last! We now know the names of all of the competing athletes at next month’s Olympic Games on the Copacabana!

The last tickets for Rio were snapped up by Canadians Josh Binstock and Sam Schachter following their epic winner-takes-all match at the weekend against Sam Pedlow and Grant O’Gorman.

The two teams had helped Canada earn their place in Brazil with victory at the Continental Cup the previous weekend, but this time it was personal as they went head-to-head in one of the most crucial matches of their careers.

Pedlow and O’Gorman took a thrilling first set 22-20 but their opponents stormed back to take the final two sets and celebrated reaching the Olympics. For 35-year-old Josh it will be his second Games having exited the Pool Play in London four years ago when partnering Martin Reader. Can he improve this year and make the elimination round?

Binstock/Schachter will be the second men’s Canadian team on duty in Rio, alongside Saxton/Schalk, and their first match couldn’t be any tougher…on day one of the Games they take on Brazilian favorites and number one seeds Alison/Bruno.

The schedule for the Olympics has also been decided and the first match of the tournament, on 6th August, pairs Poreč Major silver medalists Dopper/Horst from Austria against Italy’s Carambula/Ranghieri.

The draw for the Games took place at our Gstaad Major and you can find out who is playing who in the Pool Play by clicking right here.

It’s not long now until we hit the Copacabana but there’s some important business to take care of still. It’s a little thing called Klagenfurt…