Beach volleyball at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament

The women's beach volleyball tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was held from August 9 to August 21, at the Beach Volleyball Ground at Chaoyang Park.[1]

Women's beach volleyball
at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad
VenueBeach Volleyball Ground
DatesAugust 9–21
Competitors48 from 17 nations
Medalists
Kerri Walsh Jennings
Misty May-Treanor
 United States
Tian Jia
Wang Jie
 China
Xue Chen
Zhang Xi
 China

Each of the 24 pairs in the tournament was placed in one of six groups of four teams apiece, and played a round-robin within that pool. The top two teams in each pool advanced to the Round of 16. The six third-place teams were ranked against each other, with ties being broken by the ratio of points won to lost. The best two advanced to the Round of 16, while the other four played two matches (#3 vs. #6 and #4 vs. #5) with the winners of those two matches advancing as well. The losers of those matches, along with the fourth-place teams in each group, were eliminated.

The 16 teams that advanced to the elimination rounds played a single-elimination tournament with a bronze medal match between the semifinal losers.

Qualification

The top eight finishes that a team has from January 1, 2007, to July 20, 2008, on the Swatch FIVB World Tour (2007 and 2008), SWATCH FIVB World Championships (2007) and on FIVB recognised Continental Championship Finals, counts towards Olympic qualification for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.[2][3]

There are 24 teams competing at the Olympic Games, with a maximum of two teams per country.[2][4]

The United States had four teams in the top 8 of the FIVB Beach Volleyball Olympic Ranking, Brazil had seven teams in the top 24, but only two teams from each country can participate in the Olympic Games. Also, China had three teams and Germany had four teams in the top 24 ranking before the Games.

Qualifiers

United States and Brazil have won most of the Olympic medals of beach volleyball. Picture shows then U.S. President George W. Bush with Misty May-Treanor (left) and Kerri Walsh Jennings of the U.S. Women's Beach Volleyball team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The official cut off date for Olympic qualification for beach volleyball was July 20, 2008. The final Olympic Qualification Ranking for the 24 teams, was announced confirmed by the FIVB on July 24, 2008.[5]

No. Rank Team NOC
FIVB Beach Volleyball Olympic Ranking
1 1 Walsh Jennings – May-Treanor  United States
2 2 Tian Jia – Wang  China
3 3 Larissa – Ana Paula1  Brazil
4 4 Xue – Zhang Xi  China
5 5 Branagh – Youngs  United States
6 6 Talita – Renata  Brazil
9 7 Karantasiou – Arvaniti  Greece
11 8 Goller – Ludwig  Germany
12 9 Pohl – Rau  Germany
13 10 Cook – Barnett  Australia
16 11 Håkedal – Tørlen  Norway
20 12 Maaseide – Glesnes  Norway
21 13 Fernández–Larrea Peraza  Cuba
23 14 Schwaiger – Schwaiger  Austria
25 15 Van Breedam – Mouha  Belgium
26 16 Esteves Ribalta – M. Crespo  Cuba
27 17 Koutroumanidou – Tsiartsiani  Greece
28 18 Uryadova – Shiryaeva  Russia
29 19 Kadijk R. – Mooren  Netherlands
30 20 Kuhn – Schwer2  Switzerland
31 21 Candelas – García  Mexico
32 22 Teru Saiki – Kusuhara  Japan
33 23 Saka – Rtvelo  Georgia
81 24 Augoustides – Nel  South Africa

1 Juliana Felisberta is replaced by Ana Paula Connelly on the Brazilian team, because of an injury to Juliana.[6]

2 Austrian team Montagnolli – Swoboda is replaced by the Swiss team Kuhn – Schwer, because of medical reasons.[7]

Participating nations

Preliminary round

Directly advance to Round of 16
Third-place/Lucky-Loser playoffs
Eliminated

The two best teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinal round.

The composition of the preliminary rounds was announced confirmed on April 16, 2008.[8]

The #1 seeded team is placed in pool A, #2 in pool B, #3 in C, #4 in D, #5 in E, and #6 in F. But if the host nation has a team in the top 6 teams, it is automatically seeded as #1.[8] Therefore, China's team Tian Jia – Wang (ranked as #2,) is placed in pool A.[5]

President George W. Bush sends a ball back to United States team member Misty May-Treanor (pool B), during his visit to the Chaoyang Park practice courts on August 9, 2008, before the U.S. team began their matches.

There was held a draw of lots between seed #7 – #9, between #10 – #12, between #13 – #18, and between #19 – #24. The Drawing of lots was hosted by the 1 to 1 Energy Grand Slam, in Gstaad on July 26, as part of the 2008 SWATCH FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour.[5]

After the preliminary rounds, from August 9–14, 2008, the teams placed 1st and 2nd in each pool have qualified for the playoffs. The two best 3rd placed teams have also qualified. Two lucky loser matches qualifies two more of the 3rd placed teams. The two 3rd placed teams that lose their lucky losers match, are out of the competition. Also out of the competition are teams placed 4th in their pool.

All times are China Standard Time (UTC+8)

[9]

Pool A

Rk Team Points Won Lost PW PL SW SL
1  Tian Jia – Wang (CHN) 63014912662
2  Maaseide – Glesnes (NOR) 52113012152
3  Van Breedam – Mouha (BEL) 41213513434
4  Kuhn – Schwer (SUI) 3039312606
Aug 9, 2008
09:00
 Maaseide – Glesnes (NOR) '2'–0  Van Breedam – Mouha (BEL) Beach Volleyball Ground
(24–22, 21–18)
 

Aug 9, 2008
11:00
 Tian Jia – Wang (CHN) '2'–0  Kuhn – Schwer (SUI) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–12, 21–18)
 

Aug 11, 2008
11:00
 Tian Jia – Wang (CHN) '2'–1  Van Breedam – Mouha (BEL) Beach Volleyball Ground
(18–21, 21–19, 15–13)
 

Aug 11, 2008
14:00
 Maaseide – Glesnes (NOR) '2'–0  Kuhn – Schwer (SUI) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–11, 21–17)
 

Aug 13, 2008
11:00
 Tian Jia – Wang (CHN) '2'–1  Maaseide – Glesnes (NOR) Beach Volleyball Ground
(17–21, 21–14, 15–8)
 

Aug 13, 2008
13:00
 Van Breedam – Mouha (BEL) '2'–0  Kuhn – Schwer (SUI) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–18, 21–17)
 

Pool B

Rk Team Points Won Lost PW PL SW SL
1  Walsh Jennings – May-Treanor (USA) 6301268560
2  F. Grasset – L. Peraza (CUB) 52111611642
3  Håkedal – Tørlen (NOR) 41210811124
4  Teru Saiki – Kusuhara (JPN) 3038812606
Aug 10, 2008
09:00
 Walsh Jennings – May-Treanor (USA) '2'–0  Teru Saiki – Kusuhara (JPN) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–12, 21–15)
 

Aug 10, 2008
14:00
 Håkedal – Tørlen (NOR) 0–'2'  F. Grasset – L. Peraza (CUB) Beach Volleyball Ground
(20–22, 19–21)
 

Aug 12, 2008
09:00
 Walsh Jennings – May-Treanor (USA) '2'–0  F. Grasset – L. Peraza (CUB) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–15, 21–16)
 

Aug 12, 2008
12:00
 Håkedal – Tørlen (NOR) '2'–0  Teru Saiki – Kusuhara (JPN) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–8, 21–18)
 

Aug 14, 2008
09:00
 Walsh Jennings – May-Treanor (USA) '2'–0  Håkedal – Tørlen (NOR) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–12, 21–15)
 

Aug 14, 2008
11:00
 F. Grasset – L. Peraza (CUB) '2'–0  Teru Saiki – Kusuhara (JPN) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–18, 21–17)
 

Pool C

Rk Team Points Won Lost PW PL SW SL
1  Barnett – Cook (AUS) 63014311361
2  Larissa – Ana Paula (BRA) 52115613944
3  Saka – Rtvelo (GEO) 41212015435
4  Uryadova – Shiryaeva (RUS) 30314015736
Aug 9, 2008
12:00
 Barnett – Cook (AUS) '2'–1  Uryadova – Shiryaeva (RUS) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–8, 19–21, 15–12)
 

Aug 9, 2008
20:00
 Larissa – Ana Paula (BRA) '2'–1  Saka – Rtvelo (GEO) Beach Volleyball Ground
(23–25, 21–17, 15–5)
 

Aug 11, 2008
19:00
 Barnett – Cook (AUS) '2'–0  Saka – Rtvelo (GEO) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–18, 21–12)
 

Aug 11, 2008
20:00
 Larissa – Ana Paula (BRA) '2'–1  Uryadova – Shiryaeva (RUS) Beach Volleyball Ground
(19–21, 21–12, 15–13)
 

Aug 13, 2008
10:00
 Uryadova – Shiryaeva (RUS) 1–'2'  Saka – Rtvelo (GEO) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–10, 20–22, 12–15)
 

Aug 13, 2008
12:00
 Larissa – Ana Paula (BRA) 0–'2'  Barnett – Cook (AUS) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–23, 21–23)
 

Pool D game: China v. South Africa

Pool D

Rk Team Points Won Lost PW PL SW SL
1  Xue – Zhang Xi (CHN) 63013910561
2  Goller – Ludwig (GER) 52111910242
3  Koutroumanidou – Tsiartsiani (GRE) 41212712034
4  Augoustides – Nel (RSA) 3036812606
Aug 10, 2008
18:00
 Goller – Ludwig (GER) '2'–0  Augoustides – Nel (RSA) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–12, 21–14)
 

Aug 10, 2008
19:00
 Xue – Zhang Xi (CHN) '2'–1  Koutroumanidou – Tsiartsiani (GRE) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–18, 19–21, 15–12)
 

Aug 12, 2008
11:00
 Koutroumanidou – Tsiartsiani (GRE) '2'–0  Augoustides – Nel (RSA) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–12, 21–8)
 

Aug 12, 2008
19:00
 Xue – Zhang Xi (CHN) '2'–0  Goller – Ludwig (GER) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–14, 21–18)
 

Aug 14, 2008
10:00
 Xue – Zhang Xi (CHN) '2'–0  Augoustides – Nel (RSA) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–13, 21–9)
 

Aug 14, 2008
14:00
 Goller – Ludwig (GER) '2'–0  Koutroumanidou – Tsiartsiani (GRE) Beach Volleyball Ground
(24–22, 21–12)
 

Pool E

Rk Team Points Won Lost PW PL SW SL
1  Branagh – Youngs (USA) 63013912961
2  Pohl – Rau (GER) 52111711542
3  Esteves Ribalta – M. Crespo (CUB) 41213011734
4  Kadijk – Mooren (NED) 30310713206
Aug 9, 2008
18:00
 Branagh – Youngs (USA) '2'–0  Kadijk – Mooren (NED) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–19, 27–25)
 

Aug 9, 2008
19:00
 Pohl – Rau (GER) '2'–0  Esteves Ribalta – M. Crespo (CUB) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–17, 21–19)
 

Aug 11, 2008
12:00
 Esteves Ribalta – M. Crespo (CUB) '2'–0  Kadijk – Mooren (NED) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–11, 21–15)
 

Aug 11, 2008
18:00
 Branagh – Youngs (USA) 2–0  Pohl – Rau (GER) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–17, 21–16)
 

Aug 13, 2008
22:00
 Branagh – Youngs (USA) '2'–1  Esteves Ribalta – M. Crespo (CUB) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–19, 13–21, 15–12)
 

Aug 13, 2008
23:00
 Pohl – Rau (GER) '2'–0  Kadijk – Mooren (NED) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–19, 21–18)
 

Pool F

Rk Team Points Won Lost PW PL SW SL
1  Talita – Renata (BRA) 63013912161
2  Schwaiger – Schwaiger (AUT) 52112110542
3  Candelas – Garcia (MEX) 41212414635
4  Karantasiou – Arvaniti (GRE) 30312513716
Aug 10, 2008
11:00
 Karantasiou – Arvaniti (GRE) 0–'2'  Schwaiger – Schwaiger (AUT) Beach Volleyball Ground
(18–21, 18–21)
 

Aug 10, 2008
12:00
 Talita – Renata (BRA) '2'–1  Candelas – García (MEX) Beach Volleyball Ground
(18–21, 21–16, 15–8)
 

Aug 12, 2008
14:00
 Karantasiou – Arvaniti (GRE) 1–'2'  Candelas – García (MEX) Beach Volleyball Ground
(17–21, 21–16, 12–15)
 

Aug 12, 2008
20:00
 Talita – Renata (BRA) '2'–0  Schwaiger – Schwaiger (AUT) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–18, 21–19)
 

Aug 14, 2008
12:00
 Talita – Renata (BRA) '2'–0  Karantasiou – Arvaniti (GRE) Beach Volleyball Ground
(22–20, 21–19)
 

Aug 14, 2008
13:00
 Schwaiger – Schwaiger (AUT) '2'–0  Candelas – García (MEX) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–17, 21–10)
 

Lucky Loser

Directly advance to Round of 16
Third-place/Lucky-Loser playoffs
Eliminated

Of the 6 teams that are placed third in their pools, two are directly qualified to the playoffs. Of the four remaining third placed teams, two teams get to the playoffs through winning a lucky loser match.

3rd-placed teams
The rank, of the 3rd placed team from each pool, is here determined by the team's ratio. The ratio is calculated as the points won, divided on the points lost.

This table shows the results of the third placed teams after the pool play, and before the lucky loser matches.

Rk Team Points Won Lost PW PL Ratio SW SL
1  Esteves Ribalta – M. Crespo (CUB) 4121301171.11134
2  Koutroumanidou – Tsiartsiani (GRE) 4121271201.05834
3  Van Breedam – Mouha (BEL) 4121351341.00734
4  Håkedal – Tørlen (NOR) 4121081110.97224
5  Candelas – García (MEX) 4121241460.84935
6  Saka – Rtvelo (GEO) 4121201540.77935

Lucky Loser
Results of the Lucky Loser matches only.

Rk Team Points Won Lost PW PL SW SL
1  Van Breedam – Mouha (BEL) 210423220
2  Saka – Rtvelo (GEO) 101324202
Rk Team Points Won Lost PW PL SW SL
1  Håkedal – Tørlen (NOR) 210564521
2  Candelas – García (MEX) 101455612
Aug 14, 2008
21:00
 Van Breedam – Mouha (BEL) '2'–0  Saka – Rtvelo (GEO) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–13, 21–19)
 

Aug 14, 2008
21:00
 Håkedal – Tørlen (NOR) '2'–1  Candelas – García (MEX) Beach Volleyball Ground
(20–22, 21–12, 15–11)
 

Playoffs

Round of 16

The United States, Brazil and China managed to directly qualify two teams each, for the Round of 16, through the pool play. All six teams then won their matches in the Round of 16, and qualified for the quarterfinals. Austria and Australia also won each their Round of 16 match, and took the remaining two spots in the quarterfinals.

On August 15, one of the spectators gave birth to a baby boy, in the bathroom of the Olympic beach volleyball stadium where she was watching the women's playoff. Medical workers received the message about the woman at 10:10 a.m., and the baby was already born when they arrived 4 minutes later.[10]

Aug 15, 2008
09:00
 Van Breedam – Mouha (BEL) 0–'2'  Walsh Jennings – May-Treanor (USA) Beach Volleyball Ground
(22–24, 10–21)
 

Aug 15, 2008
10:00
 Branagh – Youngs (USA) '2'–0  F. Grasset – L. Peraza (CUB) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–15, 21–13)
 

Aug 15, 2008
11:00
 Tian Jia – Wang (CHN) '2'–0  Håkedal – Tørlen (NOR) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–13, 21–15)
 

Aug 15, 2008
12:00
 Barnett – Cook (AUS) '2–1  Koutroumanidou – Tsiartsiani (GRE) Beach Volleyball Ground
(22–20, 19–21, 15–12)
 

Aug 15, 2008
18:00
 Goller – Ludwig (GER) 1–'2'  Schwaiger – Schwaiger (AUT) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–23, 21–11, 16–18)
 

Aug 15, 2008
19:00
 Esteves Ribalta – M. Crespo (CUB) 0–'2'  Xue – Zhang Xi (CHN) Beach Volleyball Ground
(19–21, 13–21)
 

Aug 15, 2008
20:00
 Maaseide – Glesnes (NOR) 1–'2'  Talita – Renata (BRA) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–12, 19–21, 13–15)
 

Aug 15, 2008
21:00
 Larissa – Ana Paula (BRA) '2'–0  Pohl – Rau (GER) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–18, 21–14)
 

Overview

If the host nation has a team in the top 6 teams on the FIVB Olympic ranking when the Olympic Games begin, it is automatically seeded as #1.[8] Therefore, China's team Tian Jia – Wang (ranked as #2 on the Olympic ranking,) is seeded as #1.

Quarterfinals Semifinals Gold medal game
               
1  Tian Jia – Wang (CHN) 21 21
14  Schwaiger – Schwaiger (AUT) 12 12
1  Tian Jia – Wang (CHN) 22 29 15
4  Xue – Zhang Xi (CHN) 24 27 8
5  Branagh – Youngs (USA) 17 13
4  Xue – Zhang Xi (CHN) 21 21
1  Tian Jia – Wang (CHN) 18 18
2  Walsh Jennings – May-Treanor (USA) 21 21
10  Barnett – Cook (AUS) 22 14
6  Talita – Renata (BRA) 24 21
6  Talita – Renata (BRA) 12 14 Bronze medal game
2  Walsh Jennings – May-Treanor (USA) 21 21
3  Larissa – Ana Paula (BRA) 18 15 4  Xue – Zhang Xi (CHN) 21 21
2  Walsh Jennings – May-Treanor (USA) 21 21 6  Talita – Renata (BRA) 19 17

Quarterfinals

USA v. Brazil quarterfinals
Aug 17, 2008
10:00
 Larissa – Ana Paula (BRA) 0–'2'  Walsh Jennings – May-Treanor (USA) Beach Volleyball Ground
(18–21, 15–21)
 

Aug 17, 2008
11:00
 Tian Jia – Wang (CHN) '2'–0  Schwaiger – Schwaiger (AUT) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–12, 21–12)
 

Aug 17, 2008
20:00
 Branagh – Youngs (USA) 0–'2'  Xue – Zhang Xi (CHN) Beach Volleyball Ground
(17–21, 13–21)
 

Aug 17, 2008
21:00
 Barnett – Cook (AUS) 0–'2'  Talita – Renata (BRA) Beach Volleyball Ground
(22–24, 14–21)
 

Semifinals

Aug 19, 2008
09:00
 Talita – Renata (BRA) 0–'2'  Walsh Jennings – May-Treanor (USA) Beach Volleyball Ground
(12–21, 14–21)
 

Aug 19, 2008
10:00
 Tian Jia – Wang (CHN) '2'–1  Xue – Zhang Xi (CHN) Beach Volleyball Ground
(22–24, 29–27, 15–8)
 

Bronze medal match

Aug 21, 2008
09:00
 Xue – Zhang Xi (CHN) '2'–0  Talita – Renata (BRA) Beach Volleyball Ground
(21–19, 21–17)
 

Gold medal match

Aug 21, 2008
11:00
 Tian Jia – Wang (CHN) 0–'2'  Walsh Jennings – May-Treanor (USA) Beach Volleyball Ground
(18–21, 18–21)
 

Award ceremony

  • 12:10, Aug 21, 2008

Final ranking

If the host nation has a team in the top 6 teams on the FIVB Olympic ranking when the Olympic Games begin, it is automatically seeded as #1.[8] Therefore, China's team Tian Jia – Wang (ranked as #2 on the FIVB Olympic ranking before the Olympic Games,) is seeded as #1.[11]

RANKTEAMSEED
 Walsh Jennings – May-Treanor (USA) 2
 Tian Jia – Wang (CHN) 1
 Xue – Zhang Xi (CHN) 4
4.  Talita – Renata (BRA) 6
5.  Larissa – Ana Paula (BRA) 3
 Branagh – Youngs (USA) 5
 Barnett – Cook (AUS) 10
 Schwaiger – Schwaiger (AUT) 14
9.  Goller – Ludwig (GER) 8
 Pohl – Rau (GER) 9
 Håkedal – Tørlen (NOR) 11
 Maaseide – Glesnes (NOR) 12
 Fernandez Grasset – Larrea Peraza (CUB) 13
 Van Breedam – Mouha (BEL) 15
 Esteves Ribalta – M. Crespo (CUB) 16
 Koutroumanidou – Tsiartsiani (GRE) 17
17.  Candelas – Garcia (MEX) 21
 Saka – Rtvelo (GEO) 23
19.  Karantasiou – Arvaniti (GRE) 7
 Uryadova – Shiryaeva (RUS) 18
 Kadijk R. – Mooren (NED) 19
 Kuhn – Schwer (SUI) 20
 Teru Saiki – Kusuhara (JPN) 22
 Augoustides – Nel (RSA) 24

References

Notes
Sources
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