London’s Horse Guard’s Parade was transformed this summer with sand,
sun and fantastic international sport during August 9th -14th as 48 top international
female athletes came together to take part in London’s first ever beach volleyball
tournament, the Visa FIVB Beach Volleyball International. British and international
crowds enjoyed their first taste of international beach volleyball in London, getting
right behind the players to create a fantastic atmosphere both in the stands and
on court.
With excitement building towards the London 2012 Olympic Games, London played host
to some of the world’s best beach volleyball teams. Competing players included
the current world number one duo, Jennifer Kessy and April Ross from the USA, Sydney
Olympic gold medal winner Natalie Cook, and Beijing bronze medal duo Zhang Xi and
Xue Chen from China. Two teams from Great Britain took to the courts at the iconic
London landmark stadium - Lucy Boulton and Denise Johns, and Shauna Mullin and Zara
Dampney.
The event, hosted by Visa, LOCOG and the FIVB, plays a crucial role in helping to
prepare for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Twenty four world class teams travelled
to London to compete and play a total of 54 matches across the six days of competition
with two sessions per day.
Ahead of the tournament, Zara Dampney, part of the British number one duo alongside
her partner Shauna Mullin, said: “I can’t wait to get to the venue and
get a feel for what it’s going to be like next summer. Getting the chance
to compete in front of your home crowd at an Olympic Games is something not many
people get to experience and I’m excited to be part of it all. Shauna and
I have a busy schedule of world championships and tournament events but our sights
are firmly set on 2012 so we’re looking forward to getting on court and showing
what we can do.”
Shauna Mullin and Zara Dampney, the British number one women’s beach volleyball
pair are both part of Team 2012 and took part in the tournament - Visa Europe is
presenting partner of Team 2012, the group of 1200 British athletes all vying to
compete at London 2012.