Looking back at the legacy and defining moments of Rio 2016
As the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 action enters its penultimate stages, the global Volleyball Family celebrates Rio 2016’s fifth-year anniversary as today marks the day that Brazil opened its doors for what was to be a fortnight to remember for volleyball and beach volleyball.
The legacy of Rio 2016 can be best understood by the Cicero Penna School in Copacabana turned Volleyball House for the Olympic Games. The school was fully restructured and renovated before it welcomed over 3,000 visitors from 5 to 21 August and won the “Rio 2016 Hospitality House” award. After the Rio 2016 Olympic chapter ended, over 600 students were able to enjoy a fully upgraded school and use the volleyball courts that were built over the road on the beach.
Of course, it was the sport that took centre stage in Rio as volleyball and beach volleyball consolidated their place among the most in-demand sports on the Olympic programme. The two disciplines combined were the most watched sports at the Games, generating 2.6 billion viewer hours globally (IOC Data Report). For the entire two weeks both sports were the hottest tickets in town, with capacity crowds and packed venues at the Maracanãzinho Arena (indoor) and Copacabana Stadium (beach).
In volleyball, Brazil, the Olympic champions from Beijing 2008 and London 2012 were aiming to make it three in row by winning the ultimate glory on home turf. However, China had other plans, dethroning the reigning champions 3-2 in a surprise upset in the quarterfinals. They would go on to topple the Netherlands and then Serbia to claim gold in Rio, their third Olympic title after Los Angeles 1984 and Athens 2004.
And with this victory, China’s volleyball legend, Lang Ping consolidated her place in Olympic volleyball history by becoming the first person in women’s or men’s indoor volleyball to achieve Olympic success as both a player and a coach.
Meanwhile, in the men’s competition, the hosts Brazil came roaring back in the knockout rounds after almost crashing out in the group stages. They dismantled Argentina 3-1 and Russia 3-0 in the quarterfinals and semi-finals respectively, before beating Italy in a thrilling five set gold medal match. It was a magical victory for the host nation, and one of the moments which define the Rio 2016 Games to this day. Five-years on and the competition in Tokyo is shaping up to be just as exciting and hotly contested as in Rio.
Not to be outdone, beach volleyball brought the festival spirit to the 12,000-capacity iconic and purpose-built Copacabana Stadium on the sands of legendary Copacabana beach for 54 matches. In the men’s competition it was again hosts Brazil who emerged victorious with Alison Cerutti and Bruno Oscar Schmidt taking a straight sets win over Italy’s Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo.
At Tokyo 2020, none of the Rio 2016 finalists will feature in the gold medal match, with Bruno Oscar Schmidt and Alison Cerutti, now on separate teams with new partners, knocked out in the Round of 16 and quarterfinals respectively, while Nicolai and Lupo lost in the quarterfinals to Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan.
Meanwhile, history was made in the women’s competition as German’s Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst caused another host nation upset by defeating Brazil’s Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas in straight sets. It was the first time any European nation had won a gold medal in women’s beach volleyball. Five years on and Ludwig, newly partnered with Maggie Kozuch, was unable to replicate her Rio 2016 success at Tokyo 2020, losing out in the quarterfinals to Team USA’s Alix Klineman and April Ross.
Rio 2016 also saw the end of the USA’s Kerri Walsh Jennings’ impressive Olympic title run with three consecutive wins across Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012, although she did manage to take home bronze with April Ross.
Now, as the Tokyo 2020 volleyball and beach volleyball competitions begin a day of electrifying semi-final action, it is clear that the strength of Rio 2016’s Olympic legacy lives on in Tokyo. Here, the quality of competition has been exceptional as teams from across the world look to leave their mark in Olympic history.
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