AUSTRALIAN BEACH VOLLEYBALLERS NAMED FOR OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT

Beach Volleyball. February 7: Olympians Natalie Cook, Tamsin Hinchley, Louise Bawden and Josh Slack will form the nucleus of an eight-strong Australian team named by Volleyball Australia today to contest this month’s all-important second stage of Olympic qualification in New Zealand.

Australia’s leading women’s pairings Becchara Palmer and Sydney Olympian Bawden and four-time Olympian Cook and her duel Olympian partner Hinchley will be joined by men’s teams, triple Olympic representative Slack, his partner Chris McHugh and Sam Boehm and Isaac Kapa for the Asian Volleyball Confederation’s Continental Qualification tournament in Mount Maunganui from February 16-18.

Australian will face the likes of fellow Oceania countries New Zealand, Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Western Samoa, the Cook Islands and the Northern Marianas in a “Davis Cup” style tournament in what will be a vital step in the Olympic qualification process for London 2012.
 
The Mount Maunganui tournament will be the start of the country v country format for men and women.
 
If the rubbers are locked at 2-all then a “golden set” will be played with the countries having the ability to choose their teams or combinations for the deciding set.
 
The first stage of Olympic qualification will be decided by June 17 when the top 16 teams for men and women are determined by the FIVB Olympic ranking.
 
The remaining places in the 24-team draw (not including hosts Great Britain) will be decided in the various zonal qualification tournaments.
 
The top three Oceania countries from stage two in Mount Maunganui will qualify for the AVC Continental Cup (Final phase) from June 18 to 24, with the winning country claiming a place for London.
 
The final chance to make the Olympic cut will come for those second and third placed countries at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Cup Olympic Qualification tournament from June 25 to July 1, when the final London place will be decided.
 
Australia’s National Head Coach Steve Tutton, who has been a major part of Australia’s last four Olympic campaigns, knows the significance of making the most of this opportunity to secure positions for London.
 
“Australia has a real chance of qualifying two teams in the women’s tournament for London through the top 16 stage and through the Continental Cup process,” says Tutton, who is building a real team culture in his beach program.
 
“At the moment Palmer and Bawden are sitting in 15th and Cook and Hinchley at 25th on the FIVB Olympic rankings.
 
“But not only do teams have to make the top 16 they have to have played in 12 FIVB tournaments and so that’s another challenge for Cook and Hinchley.
 
“So we have to show our dominance throughout the Continental Cup tournaments and every team will be in there playing their hearts out for Australia and it will also be vital for us to be armed with good quality scouting information.
 
“The boys teams know their best realistic chances for London will be through stages two and three and they will be there playing for each other the whole way.
 
“It will also be important to ensure that through this whole process that if our teams do qualify that they are all in the best possible shape to challenge for medals in London.”
 
Tutton said that if one of the women’s teams qualifies through the Top 16 stage one process and stages two and three are still alive he will promote the emerging team of Taliqua Clancy and Karly Hynes to step up and help Australia qualify.