Beach Volleyball
Facts
| Discipline of | Volleyball |
|---|---|
| Participants | 383 |
| NOCs | 41 |
| Competitions held | 12 (Venues) |
| Distinct events | 4 |
| IF | Fédération Internationale de Volleyball |
Description
Beach volleyball became popular in the 1980s, played originally on the beaches of Southern California. It has been written of in the media as “Baywatch with a medal ceremony.” Unlike the indoor six-person game, beach volleyball is played usually by two-person teams, although events with four-person teams have been contested. The game is played on a sand-based surface. Beach volleyball was added to the Olympic Program in 1996 and has been contested in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008 at the Olympics. The first men’s gold medal was by the USA team of Karch Kiraly, often considered the greatest ever volleyballer, and his teammate Kent Steffes. Two women have won three gold medals, with Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor winning the title in 2004, 2008, and 2012.
All-time medal table
| NOC | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States |  USA |
6 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Brazil |  BRA |
3 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
| Germany |  GER |
2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Australia |  AUS |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| People's Republic of China |  CHN |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Italy |  ITA |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Spain |  ESP |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Canada |  CAN |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Latvia |  LAT |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Netherlands |  NED |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Switzerland |  SUI |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Most successful competitors
| Athlete | Nat | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kerri Walsh Jennings | USA |
3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Misty May-Treanor | USA |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Emanuel | BRA |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Ricardo | BRA |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Alison | BRA |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Natalie Cook | AUS |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Kerri-Ann Pottharst | AUS |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Sandra | BRA |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Jackie Silva | BRA |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kent Steffes | USA |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Karch Kiraly | USA |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dain Blanton | USA |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Eric Fonoimoana | USA |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jonas Reckermann | GER |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Laura Ludwig | GER |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Phil Dalhausser | USA |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Todd Rogers | USA |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Julius Brink | GER |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kira Walkenhorst | GER |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bruno Schmidt | BRA |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Event types
| Name | Gender | Still contested? | Times held? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beach Volleyball | Men | 6 | |
| Beach Volleyball | Women | 6 | |
| Beach Volleyball | Boys | 1 | |
| Beach Volleyball | Girls | 1 |