The Beijing Olympics Presents: Beach Volleyball

When the Summer Olympic Games start in Beijing on August 8, 2008 (8.8.08), Americans will be treated to more complete coverage of the games than ever before. While NBC will provide live and taped coverage of selected events on television, as usual, they will also use the internet to provide live streaming coverage of almost all events for the first time ever. According to nbcolympics.com, the network plans to air over 1200 hours of coverage on network and cable television, as well as 2200 hours of live streaming video on the internet. So much coverage and so many viewing opportunities means one thing: lots of choices. As you surf through the coverage, be it on TV or on the internet, make sure to check out beach volleyball. Having only been an Olympic event since the Atlanta, Georgia games in 1996, many people might not realize that the sport offers a great deal more than toned men and women displaying their glistening, sandy bodies in coordinating swimwear. Just one day after the opening ceremonies the women beach volleyball players will take the sand, the men to shortly follow. They will come from all over the world, and with them, they will bring the fast, high-flying action that has become the trademark of beach volleyball.

Although Beijing will mark only the fourth Summer Olympics where beach volleyball competition has been included, it could end up being the first time that both the men's and women's number one seed belong to teams from the United States. In other words, American fans will have plenty to cheer for. The 2004 gold medalists Kerri Walsh and Misty May (now Misty May-Treanor) will return to defend their title, and they will come in as the unquestioned favorite and the number one seed. By the time the games begin, it is likely that the May-Treanor/Walsh team will have eclipsed their own world-records of 15 consecutive tournament titles, and 89 consecutive match wins overall. The victories are a combination of championship wins on the AVP Crocs Tour (America's professional beach volleyball tour) and the FIVB tour, which is the international tour where the world's best compete for prize money, Olympic qualification and seeding for the Beijing Games. You could reasonably argue that either one of the two players is the greatest in the world, but one thing is certain, together, they are the best.

Joining Walsh and May-Treanor in Beijing will be Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh. Youngs won the bronze medal in the 2004 Athens games, where she played with Holly McPeak. Now playing with Branagh, they typically hold the number two seed in AVP Crocs events behind May-Treanor/Walsh, and proved their ability on the international tour when they took gold in Barcelona early this June. Although a third team from the United States, Jen Boss and April Ross, appeared they would be in late contention for the second spot for the US, a second place in Moscow on July 5^th secured the spot for Youngs/Branagh. Even if May-Treanor and Walsh take the gold medal as expected, look for the Branagh and Youngs team to be a serious contender for a spot on the medal stand.

So far in beach volleyball's short history as an Olympic sport, no men's team from the United States has ever held the number one seed going into the games. This year, Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser aim to change that. Currently the duo, comprised of the 6'2" Rogers and the 6'9" Dalhausser, hold the number one seed, recently having won their third straight gold medal in a FIVB event that concluded on July 6^th. Like May-Treanor and Walsh, Rogers and Dalhausser will certainly enter the games as the gold medal favorites. Whether or not they will hold the number one seed is not so certain. With only one more FIVB event left to determine seedings, Dalhausser and Rogers hold the number one ranking. However, the United States team is not registered to play in that tournament, which will take place in Marseile, France. The current second ranked team, and the only team with a chance to surpass Rogers and Dalhausser in points, Emanuel Rego and Ricardo Santos from Brazil will play the event.

If Rego and Santos, the 2004 gold medalists, manage a high enough finish, they could steal the number one seed. Or, if China's team of Wu Penggen and Xu Linyin, can hold onto their sixth seed or move up the rankings, they will be granted the number one seed as the team from the host country. But no matter how the seeding pans out, there is no arguing against the fact that Rogers and Dalhausser are the team to beat. The towering Dalhausser, nicknamed the "Thin Beast" is one of the most formidable blockers and feared hitters ever. Rogers, who plays behind the huge block, is heralded as perhaps the best defensive player in the world. A smart and crafty offensive player with prowess enough to teach almost everyone in the world a little something, they call Todd Rogers "The Professor." Joining the Rogers/Dalhausser duo in Beijing will be Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal. Just like Youngs/Branagh, Gibb and Rosenthal are a common fixture in the top three at AVP Crocs events, and have won one FIVB event this year. Despite a disappointingly early exit from the Moscow FIVB tournament, which still was enough to secure the second United States spot, Gibb and Rosenthal will look to bounce back in Beijing. They may not be a favorite to end up on the medal stand, but as a team that regularly plays against Dalhausser and Rogers, they seem primed to be competitive against whatever else the world has to offer.

Joining the four medal-hopeful teams from the United States and the AVP Crocs tour will be the always-energetic announcer and host Chris McGee. McGee, or "Geeter" is known for his ability to enhance the electrifying atmosphere of volleyball events with his animated and excited introductions, commentating, and play-by-play. Olympic officials invited McGee to be the English play-by-play announcer at the volleyball events. Combining the excitement of the game with McGee's ability to enhance the action and adrenaline should create an experience that fans of the AVP have come to expect and love.

So tune in your television or log on to live streaming beach volleyball on the internet and see what the excitement is all about. You will probably come to love it too.