2003 SWATCH-FIVB World Tour Calendar

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1 PRESS KIT

2 00 SWATCH-FIVB World Tour Calendar WOMEN DATE COUNTRY PRIZE MONEY June - 5 June Rhodes, Greece Open $50,000 7 June - June Gstaad, Switzerland Open $50,000 June - 8 June Berlin, Germany Grand Slam $00,000 0 July - 05 July Stavanger, Norway Open $50,000 5 July - 9 July Marseille, France Grand Slam $70,000 0 July - 0 Aug Klagenfurt, Austria Grand slam $60, Aug - 0 Aug Osaka, Japan Open $50,000 Aug - 7 Aug Maoming, China Open $50,000 0 Aug - Aug Bali, Indonesia Open $50,000 Sept - 7 Sept Milan, Italy Open $50,000 6 Sept - 0 Sept Los Angeles, USA Grand Slam $00, Oct - Oct Rio de Janeiro, Brazil World Championship $00,000 TOTAL WOMEN'S PRIZE MONEY USD$,580,000 MEN DATE COUNTRY PRIZE MONEY 0 June - 08 June Rhodes, Greece Open $50,000 8 June - June Gstaad, Switzerland Open $50,000 5 June - 9 June Berlin, Germany Grand Slam $00,000 0 July - 06 July Stavanger, Norway Open $50,000 6 July - 0 July Marseille, France Grand Slam $70,000 July - 7 July Espinho, Portugal Open $50,000 July - 0 Aug Klagenfurt, Austria Grand Slam $60,000 Sept - 7 Sept Mallorca, Spain Open $50,000 7 Sept - Sept Los Angeles, USA Grand Slam $00,000 5 Oct. - 9 Oct Rio de Janeiro, Brazil World Championship $00,000 TOTAL MEN'S PRIZE MONEY USD$,80,000 TOTAL COMBINED PRIZE MONEY USD$,860,000

3 Evolution of the SWATCH-FIVB World Tour It is astonishing to think how international Beach Volleyball has evolved into one of the world's most popular global sporting extravaganzas since it's inauguration years ago. From 989 when the first international Beach Volleyball Tour called the World Series was unleashed in Rio de Janeiro the circuit has undergone two name changes and a makeover to become one of the most dynamic global sporting tournaments in the world. From the beginnings of three legs for men in Brazil, Italy and Japan involving 0 athletes, from seven countries, women were introduced three years later before the international circuit was revitalized and the World Championship Series was born in 995. At that point legs and prize money stood at 7 and US$.m respectively thus prompting the transformation into the now famous World Tour. Now, in 00, the SWATCH-FIVB World Tour provides a gripping circuit embracing stops split between men and women with over 700 athletes from more than 50 countries and a record prize money pool nearing US$5m. Also including for the first time a four-leg Grand Slam - a tournament within a tournament - at Berlin, Marseille, Klagenfurt, and Los Angeles.

4 The FIVB Beach Volleyball Website Check out the FIVB Beach Volleyball website at: From here you can check out the following: Current results and standings - go to calendar and click on event Player Profil.es: Player Biographies: The best players of 00: Under and Under 8 World Chapionships: The new Beach Volleyball Handbook: 00 Beach Volleyball News: From this site we also have links to player websites, 00 World Tour rankings, national circuits, and lots more...

5 Beach Volleyball: From Depression Diversion to $$ million Delight Born in the depression days of the 90s on the sandy beaches of Santa Monica, California, Beach Volleyball has soared to a multi milliondollar extravaganza and an Olympic sport that has captivated players in more than 50 countries. From those first matches the game caught on 0 years later in France, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Latvia before slotting perfectly into the Californian lifestyle in the 950s and the pulsating 60s, taking its place alongside surfing. U.S.A. and Brazil then played a major role in transforming "Beach" into a professional sport in the 970s and '80s but it was the hard work of the FIVB President Dr. Rubén Acosta and Beach Volleyball stars such as Sinjin Smith, Karch Kiraly and Randy Stoklos that helped establish Beach Volleyball internationally in the 980s and '90s and become a full medal sport at the 996 Atlanta Olympic Games. At the same time the FIVB Beach Volleyball international circuit evolved from the World Series to the World Tour and exploded in popularity in Europe, Latin America and Asia. Now in 00 Beach Volleyball boasts a -event World Tour encompassing Europe and the Americas, including the World Championships, in an Olympic-qualifying year with almost US $5million in prize money up for grabs. Milestones: 90's - The birth of Beach Volleyball on the beaches of Santa Monica, California The first official two-man Beach Volleyball tournament held at State Beach, California with no prize money The first tournament with prizes was played at State Beach, California were the top teams were rewarded with a crate of Pepsi The first money tournament was held - US$,500 San Diego Open. 50 spectators The first FIVB international competition started called "The World Championship" in Rio de Janeiro. It later changes its name to the World Series in and the World Tour in The International Olympic Committee recognizes Beach Volleyball as an Olympic Games discipline First appearance (and sold out) at the Atlanta Olympic Games Beach Volleyball a smash hit at the Sydney Olympic Games with 80,000 spectators and billions of TV viewers More and 0,000 spectators attend five days of competition at the World Championship in Austria The World Tour includes a four-leg "Grand Slam" integrated tournament within a tournament, challenging the top teams to win "The Slam" and go down in history as truly great players. Grand Slams in Berlin, Marseille, Klagenfurt and California, each carrying at least US$60,000 in prize money.

6 Quantum Leap for Beach Volleyball in 00 When the first ball is served on the beautiful island of Rhodes to launch the SWATCH-FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, it will signal the start of what will be a ground breaking Beach Volleyball season. FIVB's partnership with SWATCH, the new title sponsor and the world's leading makers of timing devices, brings with it fabulous new technical innovations (SWATCH electronic scoreboards and measurement of speed of service) and the freshness of a relationship formed to jointly promote what has become the summer sport of choice in many countries. This year top players will have the chance to prove they are truly great by cracking the four-leg Grand Slam, as well as to contest the title of titles - the World Championship on the world's most famous beach - Copacabana, Brazil. In addition, in another unique action, FIVB joins forces with Ecoflag, a program of Global Sports Alliance and UNEP, the United Nations Environmental Program, designed to raise environmental awareness through eco-friendly sports practices, a program that has the personal support of FIVB President Dr. Rubén Acosta. This year, the Tour goes to Europe, Asia, North and South America and event organizers are overwhelmed with teams who wish to compete on the elite circuit. The FIVB now hosts two annual Junior World Championships (U- and U-8) to nurture the next generation of Beach stars, a process enhanced by national tours popping up in countries all over the world. 5

7 World Championship returns to its spiritual home The month was October, the year 986, the place Prague and the FIVB Congress made a decision to launch the inaugural international Beach Volleyball competition, the World Championship, to kick start what has evolved into a global sporting extravaganza. Since it's spectacular debut in 987 on the fabulous Copacabana Beach in Brazil, the World Championship has gathered immense prestige and importance. It is therefore fitting that in 00 the most important event on the calendar returns to its spiritual home on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil hosted the "World Championships" every year from 987 to 995. Then in 997 a new-look World Championships was staged in Los Angeles and the decision was made to stage the event every two years. Since then, France (999) and Austria (00) have both hosted the celebrated event. In 987 the "World Championship" was held with one leg at the famous Copacabana beach with 0 athletes from seven countries competing for a total of US$,575. Sinjin Smith and Randy Stoklos, early stars and now icons of the sport, took the honors. Now, the 00 FIVB World Championship, presented by SWATCH, will see 8 men's and 8 women's teams compete in back to back tournaments from October 7-9 with US$800,000 up for grabs. The next edition of the FIVB World Championships is planned for a return to Los Angeles in September 005 where the best of the best will play in the sports birthplace in the 90's. A Grand Slam of an idea Just when you thought the SWATCH FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour was enough to whet the appetite the introduction of a new four-leg Grand Slam this year promises to inject further spice having opened the possibility for a team to claim "The Grand Slam". Four tournaments on the World Tour - Berlin, Germany in June, Marseille, France in July, Klagenfurt, Austria in August and California, USA for the final leg in September will each carry high prestige as being one of the Grand Slam legs, carrying US$00,000 in prize money. Should a team succeed in winning all four tournaments, they, as Grand Slam Champions, will not only go down in the annals of the history of our sport, but they will also attract admiration from their peers and the sport's aficionados. This sporting concept, already entrenched in traditional sports such as tennis and golf, will create a real sporting challenge to top teams and serve up another delectable appetizer for all Beach Volleyball fans. 6

8 WORLD RANKINGS Top 0 Men s Teams from the 00 World Tour Top 0 Women s Teams from the 00 World Tour RANK TEAM COUNTRY Baracetti-Conde Marcio Araujo-Benjamin Ricardo-Loiola Laciga P.-Laciga M. Child-Heese Wong-Metzger Emanuel-Tande Kjemperud-Hoidalen Heuscher-Kobel Pará-Harley ARG SUI CAN USA NOR SUI RANK TEAM COUNTRY Walsh-May Adriana Behar-Shelda Pottharst-Cook McPeak-Youngs Ana Paula-Minello Perrotta-Gattelli Barros-Sandra Pires Alexandra-Mônica Leenstra-Kadijk R. Pohl-Rau USA AUS USA ITA NED GER Top Mens Teams from the U World Championship 00 Top Women Teams from the U World Championship 00 RANK TEAM COUNTRY Herrera-Mesa Cunha-Fonseca Karger-Lammens Gortsianouk-Knapek ESP GER GRE RANK TEAM COUNTRY Lima-Silva Forrer-Schonenberger Salgado Rufino-Rocha Arvaniti-Koutroumanidou SUI GRE Top Mens Teams from the U8 World Championship 00 Top Womens Teams from the U8 World Championship 00 RANK TEAM COUNTRY Salgado-Borges Gortsianouk-Papadimitriou Daynov-Koshkarev Pecherz-Lyczko GRE RUS POL RANK TEAM COUNTRY Keizer-Stevens Lehmann-Romberg Flemig-Semmler Grael-Salgado NED GER GER 7

9 Beach Volleyball rules for you Beach Volleyball is best known for its tension, excitement and drama and the rules are remarkably simple, making the game universally popular also as a recreational sport. Two teams of two players must score points by placing the ball over (without touching) the net and into the opponent's court - that's it - the recipe for some of the best fun you can have on the beach. Throw in a couple of additional regulations; the ball can touch any part of the body, each team has three alternate hits between the two players to return the ball and one cannot catch or throw the ball and you are on track to understanding one of the best forms of summer entertainment on the planet. Here are a couple of extra pointers just to help you enjoy the game even more. The match is won by the team that wins two sets. A set is won by the team that scores points first with a minimum margin of (except in the deciding rd set). In the case of a 0-0 tie, play is continued until a two-point lead is reached. In the case of the sets being tied -, the deciding set is played to 5 points (not the usual ) with a minimum lead of points. A team winning a rally scores a point - The Rally Point System The serving player must be alternated everytime this occurs. There are NO determined positions on the court. Two players can touch the ball at the same time but when two teammates do, it counts as two hits (except if blocking). If there is a "held ball" by two opponents over the net it is NOT considered a fault. A player may enter the opponent's court provided they don't interfere with the opponent's play. So the next time you head to one of the glamour spots on the international Beach Volleyball circuit to take in the fun and passion of Beach Volleyball remember; it's a simple game. Why not grab a ball and try it yourself! 8

10 Receiving Setting Kerri-Ann Pottharst, the Gold medallist at the Olympic Games in Sydney and 996 Bronze medallist at Atlanta offers tips how to play Beach Volleyball. Give and Take: One side of the court is 8m x 8m and there are only two of you to cover it so therefore, one must "give" up a certain area, whilst "taking" away another. Look at where your opponent is likely to hit the ball and you "take" that area away by making sure you dig it every time. Then look at the shots they rarely use, and "give" up those areas. By giving and taking you dig LOTS of balls!! Faking in defense: It helps to "trick" your opponent into hitting the ball straight to you. It's best done to an opponent who is good at looking at you just before they take off to jump and hit the ball. So, as the defensive player, you time it so that just as they look, you "fake" a move one way and then as they're hitting it you run the opposite way to dig their hit. Serving Five time Beach Volleyball World Champion Sinjin Smith on how to play Beach Volleyball. Jump serve: Use the serve to try to ace or force a bad pass. This serve is best when the wind is in your face and you can hit the ball very hard. Float Serve: You contact the ball so that it doesn't spin in hope that it will float with a wayward trajectory. This serve is also best with the wind in your face. Skyball: A serve that is hit high into the sky to either blind the passer because the sun is directly in ones face or to allow the wind to move the ball so it is difficult to line up for the pass. Shot: Approach the net as if to spike but instead of using a quick arm and snapping the wrist, slow the arm down at the last moment disguising the change and guide the ball into a specific area of the court. Blocking Digging Spiking 9

11 Olympic Stats 996 Atlanta Olympics: men's teams and 8 women's teams competing on Atlanta beach in a 0,000-seat stadium. More than 07,000 spectators took in the six-day competition. Some 600 athletes representing countries took part in the Olympic qualifying process. Medallists: Men: Gold: Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes (USA) as Kiraly becomes a three-time gold medalist and the first indoor and outdoor Olympic champion in volleyball. Silver: Mike Dodd and Mike Whitmarsh (USA) Bronze: John Child and Mark Heese (Canada) Women: Gold: Jackie Silva and Sandra Pires (Brazil) Silver: Mônica Rodrigues and Adriana Samuel (Brazil) Bronze: Natalie Cook and Kerri-Ann Pottharst (Australia) 000 Sydney Olympics: The top men's and women's teams competing on Bondi Beach in a stadium holding 0,000 fans. Teams from more than 50 countries took park on the qualifying process. Medallists: Men: Gold: Dain Blanton and Eric Fonoimoana (USA) Silver: Zé Marco and Ricardo Costa (Brazil) Bronze: Jörg Ahmann and Axel Hager (Germany) Women: Gold: Natalie Cook and Kerri-Ann Pottharst (Australia) Silver: Adriana Behar and Shelda Bede (Brazil) Bronze: Sandra Pires and Adriana Samuel (Brazil) 00 Athens Olympics: A total of men's and women's teams will take part in the Beach Volleyball competition at the Olympic Beach Volleyball Centre, which holds 0,000 people. All matches will be played on centre court where teams will play a minimum of three matches. Night sessions will be scheduled for each day of the -day competition. All continents will be granted a vacancy if not already qualified. Teams from 60 countries will take part in the qualifying process. 0

12 Eco Friendly Beach Volleyball! The FIVB and Global Sports Alliance have joined forces to help raise environment awareness through sport. The ecoflag symbolizes the commitment to the environment of sports-lovers and everyone who knows the importance and irreplaceable nature of the water, air and greenery that surrounds us. Beach Volleyball World Tour event in Gstaad, Switzerland is setting the example by players using bicycles for local transport in the picturesque alpine town! Hop, Step and Jump to a better environment GSA's, approach to the environmental problem is unique and practical: First (Hop) is promoting awareness through the Ecoflag. "We can enjoy volleyball because of clean air and water, thus the environment. Let's make sure that we keep the environment clean for future generations." Second (Step) is promoting the spontaneous actions on the environment. The GSA has introduced advanced initiatives on sports and environmental issues, such as asking sport fans to take spontaneous actions on the environment. They make this introduction through the Global Forum for Sports and Environment (G-ForSE00), which will be attended by the FIVB president Dr. Rubén Acosta on November th in Tokyo, Japan. Third (Jump) is spreading this awareness and actions to the billion sport enthusiasts around the world. For more information take a look at the global Sports Alliance website at

13 Frequently asked questions Do men and women receive equal prize money? Yes Why does the FIVB force the women to play in bikinis? They don't. The women have the option of playing in a one or two piece playing uniform. In 989 they played in a one piece uniform. Do you have to have special sand for the tournaments? Yes. A top quality, clean, fine sand, which is tested in laboratories. Is the net and court the same size for beach volleyball as in indoor volleyball? The net height is the same size at.m for men and.m for women but the Beach Volleyball court size is 8m x 6m compared with 9m x 8m for Indoor. Which country is growing the fastest in terms of beach volleyball? Thailand is the host of the Women's U0 and Boy's U9 Beach Volleyball World Championship in 00 reflecting the popularity of the sport in the country. Why isn't mixed volleyball played? Firstly the net is at a different height for men and women and secondly, the speed of which the game is played differs between the two sexes, providing an unfair advantage. Do all beach volleyball players come from indoor volleyball? No. Beach Volleyball has such a presence now it is attracting professional players who have dedicated their life to the sport. Is Beach Volleyball always played on beaches? No. You will see some venues located in the middle of town squares, ports and holiday resorts. Do beach volleyball teams have captains? Yes. Usually indicated on the score sheet and the captain is responsible for the coin toss among other things. Is a ball on the line in or out? In What is the average length of a match? A typical game consists of about 00 rallies or just less than an hour. Is the ball the same as Indoor Volleyball? No it is heavier What is the mission of the FIVB? To bring Volleyball in all its forms to as many people in the world as possible When was Beach Volleyball introduced to the Olympic Games programme? In it's debut at the Olympics, Beach Volleyball was a sold out event at the 996 Atlanta Games What is the relationship between the FIVB and AVP? FIVB and AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) have an agreement of cooperation and in 00 AVP hosts an FIVB Grand Slam. What is the role of a National Federation? National Federations are affiliated to the FIVB and act as co-organizers of Beach events if there is a promoter Are players professional or amateur? Top players are professional Who are the legends of Beach Volleyball? Men: Sinjin Smith, Randy Stoklos, Karch Kirally, Gene Selznick, Loila Women: Jackie Silva, Kerri-Ann Pottharst, Karolyn Kirby What do the signals mean in Beach Volleyball? One index finger behind the back means the blocker will take the line parallel to the outside of the court while the player at the back covers the diagonal angle. Two index fingers means the blocker takes the diagonal while the player at the back covers the shot down the line. FIVB Communications Manager: Marcia Hill Tel: + () 5 55 Fax: + () Press@fivb.org Beach Volleyball on tour Press Delegate: Terrence Ororke Tel: + (0) Mobile: + (0) t_ororke@hotmail.com