The beach volleyball competitions at the 2016 Olympic Games took place from August 6th to 18th. The venue was the temporary Arena de Vôlei de Praia on Copacabana , the beach in Rio de Janeiro . There was one tournament each for women and men. 48 teams from 24 countries competed for the medals. Each nation was allowed to compete with a maximum of four teams. Germany was represented with three teams, Austria and Switzerland with two teams each.
Preliminary and hope round, round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals
3rd place / final
mode
A maximum of two duos per nation and gender were allowed to compete. The 24 qualified teams were drawn into six groups of four, with the host's best team and the best five teams in the Olympic ranking as group heads. In the groups, each duo played against each other team, making a total of six games. Each winner of a game received two points, the loser one point. In the event of a tie, the quotient of the ball points was decisive for the rank in the table. The group winners and runners-up as well as the two best thirds in the group made it straight to the round of 16. The four remaining third in the group determined the last two round of 16 players in two play-offs . From the round of 16, the simple knockout system continued until the final.
The drawing of the preliminary round groups took place on July 9th as part of the major tournament in Gstaad . The fixtures were released on July 15th.
View into the arena during the preliminary round match ITA - AUT
Lucky Losers August 11th
encounter
Result
ItalyNicolai / Lupo
Poland Łosiak / Cantor
2: 1
CanadaSchalk / Saxton
Poland Fijałek / Prudel
2-0
Knockout round
Round of 16 12./13. August
Quarterfinals August 15th
Semi-finals August 16
Final August 18th
Italy
Carambula / Ranghieri
0
Italy
Nicolai / Lupo
2
Italy
Nicolai / Lupo
2
Russia
Ljamin / Barsuk
1
Brazil
Pedro / Evandro
1
Russia
Ljamin / Barsuk
2
Italy
Nicolai / Lupo
2
Russia
Semjonow / Krassilnikow
1
Russia
Semjonow / Krassilnikow
2
Qatar
Jefferson / Cherif
0
Russia
Semjonow / Krassilnikow
2
Cuba
Díaz / González
1
Austria
Doppler / Horst
0
Cuba
Díaz / González
2
Italy
Nicolai / Lupo
0
Brazil
Alison / Bruno
2
United States
Lucena / Dalhausser
2
Austria
Huber / Seidl
0
United States
Lucena / Dalhausser
1
Brazil
Alison / Bruno
2
Brazil
Alison / Bruno
2
Spain
Herrera / Gavira
0
Brazil
Alison / Bruno
2
Netherlands
Brouwer / Meeuwsen
1
Mexico
Virgen / Ontiveros
0
Netherlands
Numberdor / Varenhorst
2
Netherlands
Numberdor / Varenhorst
0
3rd place match
Netherlands
Brouwer / Meeuwsen
2
Canada
Schalk / Saxton
0
Russia
Semjonow / Krassilnikow
0
Netherlands
Brouwer / Meeuwsen
2
Netherlands
Brouwer / Meeuwsen
2
referee
The FIVB had selected sixteen referees for the Olympic beach volleyball competitions. The referees came from all continental associations. Three of them were women.
Shortly before the start of the games, a doping case became known. The Italian Viktoria Orsi Toth , who had qualified for the Olympic tournament with Marta Menegatti , tested positive for the androgenic steroid Clostebol during a training check on July 19, 2016 , after which she was suspended from all competitions. Laura Giombini took over for Orsi Toth .
qualification
24 women and 24 teams each qualified for the Olympic tournament. A maximum of two duos per gender could qualify per nation.
A further fifteen starting places were allocated via an Olympic ranking list. The results of all FIVB tournaments in the period from January 1, 2015 to June 12, 2016 were evaluated in this ranking list . In order to get into the ranking, a team had to show at least twelve participations in such tournaments. The fifteen best teams in the ranking made it to the qualification. No Brazilian teams and a maximum of two duos per nation were taken into account.
The next five starting places for women and men were awarded at the Continental Cups. These tournaments were held from June 20-26, 2016 by the five continental associations. Every nation that had not yet reached the maximum of two starting places participated with two teams.
The last chance to qualify was the World Continental Cup. There, the defeated nations at the Continental Cup played for two starting places on July 4th to 10th.