With just four weeks until the start of the London 2012 Olympics, 24 players have been named as part of Team GB’s women’s and men’s indoor volleyball squads.
Glaswegian Lynne Beattie will captain the women’s team, and they will be confident at their prospects of picking up Olympic victories after some noteworthy results recently, including beating a representative USA squad last year in Sheffield. Like their male counterparts, they will also be looking to gain positive results against some of the strongest volleyball nations, having been grouped alongside Russia, Algeria, Italy, Dominican Republic and Japan.
All of the players have competed in mainland Europe and America, where the sport enjoys a very strong level of interest. By honing their abilities in some of the most competitive leagues across the globe, the volleyball athletes are well prepared to put in credible performances at home in London and lay the foundations for future generations of British volleyball players.
Speaking of the selection, Beattie said: “I am absolutely delighted to be named in the team of 12 as part of Team GB at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
“I feel honoured to be a part of this amazing team of players and staff who have all been working so hard for the last five years in order to be where we are today, on the brink of our first Olympic Games.
“It is an exciting time not only for us as a team, but for volleyball as a sport. We look forward to performing at Earls Court Arena in front of a home crowd and doing the British public proud!”
Team GB have used home-nation places to enter both a women’s and men’s team for volleyball, which will take place at Earl’s Court in London. London 2012 will be the first time that Team GB will be represented at the Olympic Games.
Twelve nations will compete in each of the men’s and the women’s events. The entrants are divided into two pools of six, who will compete in a round-robin format. The top four nations from each group progress to the quarter-final, where the competition becomes straight knock-out. The losers of the two semi-finals play off for bronze, while the winners contest the gold-medal fixture.
Selected female athletes:
Lucy Wicks
Ciara Michel
Lynne Beattie
Rachel Bragg
Joanne Morgan
Grace Carter
Savanah Leaf
Rachel Laybourne
Maria Bertelli
Lizzie Reid
Janine Sandell
Jennifer Taylor
Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
