Rio de Janeiro’s historical past includes the introduction of Beach Volleyball internationally.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 4, 2016 – When one talks about this seaside city, it usually is about the iconic Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, the Christ the Redeemer statue atop Mount Corcovado and Sugarloaf, a granite monolith with cable cars to its summit.

The site of world’s largest Carnival festival featuring parade floats, flamboyant costumes and samba, the city was founded by the Portuguese on March 1, 1565 and was named São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro, in honor of St. Sebastian, the saint who was the namesake and patron of the then Portuguese Monarch D. Sebastião.

But for the next three weeks, Rio de Janeiro will be the site of the sixth renewal of the largest “beach party” in Olympic history with 96 players from 24 countries making up 48 teams as the featured performers in the Rio 2016 Summer Games on iconic Copacabana where a 12,000-seat venue has been constructed.

While Rio de Janeiro becomes the first South American country to host an Olympics, Brazil has been a mainstay in staging FIVB World Tour events starting with the first-ever internationally-sanctioned tournament in February 1987.  Since then, Rio de Janeiro has organized another 16 men’s and 10 women’s tournaments.

The current …

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