Olympic Beach Volleyball 2012: Where Event Ranks Among Most Entertaining
Beach volleyball is more exciting than you think.ย
No, I'm not telling you to start following the FIVB (Federation Internationale de Volleyball) religiously, to learn the names of the Czech Republic's women's team or even to learn the rules inside and out.
All I ask of you is this: at least watch a match at the Olympics in London.ย
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Beach volleyball, for whatever reason, has that indescribable element that makes it must-see TV at the Olympics. Similar to gymnastics, swimming and track and field, it's not a sport that you ever go out of your way to see, but when athletes are competing to bring home gold for their countries, you can't not watch.
It's not just the "Olympic effect," either.
If that were true, I would be glued to the TV for wrestling, weightlifting and rowing. But those sports don't have the same mystique, the same intrigue, the same watchability factor.ย
Beach volleyball has all of those things.
Maybe it's the fact that teams are composed of just two teammates, which is highly unusual compared to other sports. By my count, the only other events that involve tag-teams are doubles tennis, rowing and synchronized diving.ย
When picking your teammate is almost as important as your skill in the sport itself, that draws interest, and rightfully so. These competitors have to put their trust in their one and only teammate, and when you see them succeed, it's enjoyable to watch.
Just look at the relationship between Jen Kessy and April Ross or Kerri Walsh-Jennings and Misty May-Treanor, and it's clear to see how beach volleyball is all about finding the right partnership.
Beach volleyball, in a sense, exemplifiesย teamworkย and trust better than any other team sport in the Olympics.ย
Now, throw in the fact the both the men's and women's competition this year is wide open.
On the women's side, the two American teams are clearly in good shape to make a run at the gold, but the Brazilian duo of Larissa Franca and Juliana Silva and the Chinese team of Zhang Xi and Xue Chen are also solid favorites.
Same with the men's side, as there are as many as four teams that could easily take home the gold medal.
Beach volleyball certainly isn't a household sport, but the uniqueness of the sport, the teamwork exemplified and the wide-open field should make it one of the best events in London.
