The draw for men's indoor volleyball at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games:
Group A - USA, Italy, Bulgaria, China, Japan, Venezuela
Group B - Serbia, Brazil, Poland, Germany, Egypt, Russia
The draw for the women's indoor volleyball:
Group A - Japan, Venezuela, Poland, Cuba, China, USA
Group B - Algeria, Serbia, Italy, Russia, Kazakhstan, Brazil
The game schedule for men and women is available here>>>
Australia and Volleyball
Kerri Pottharst and Natalie Cook won Australia’s first ever volleyball Olympic medal when they won the bronze, behind the Brazilian pairing of Sandra Pires and Jacqueline Silva, in Atlanta 1996 when the volleyball discipline debuted. Four years later in Sydney, Pottharst and Cook won the gold medal before an enthusiastic hometown audience on Bondi Beach.
Australia’s first indoor Olympic volleyball teams played at the Sydney Games as the host nation.
Only one Australian indoor volleyball team, the men in Athens 2004 has ever qualified to play at the Olympic Games.
Olympic History
Volleyball (indoor) for men and women was added to the Olympic program in Tokyo 1964 with the Soviet Union winning the men’s and Japan the women’s in front of the home crowd. Since then it has grown into an extremely popular sport in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Beach volleyball gained Olympic status in Atlanta 1996. The United States team of Charles “Karch” Kiraly and Kent Steffes won the men’s title. Kiraly was a member of the gold medal-winning United States team in indoor volleyball in Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988. At Sydney 2000 the beach volleyball competition on Bondi Beach was one of the highlights of the Games.
Gold Medal Winners at the Past Three Olympic Games
Men's Tournament (Indoor)
Atlanta 1996 - NETHERLANDS
Sydney 2000 - YUGOSLAVIA
Athens 2004 - BRAZIL
Women's Tournament (Indoor)
Atlanta 1996 - CUBA
Sydney 2000 - CUBA
Athens 2004 - CHINA
Men's Tournament (Beach)
Atlanta 1996 - KIRALY / STEFFES (USA)
Sydney 2000 - BLANTON / FONOIMOANA (USA)
Athens 2004 - RICARDO / EMANUEL (BRA)
Women's Tournament (Beach)
Atlanta 1996 - PIRES / SILVA (BRA)
Sydney 2000 - COOK / POTTHARST (AUS)
Athens 2004 - MAY / WALSH (USA)
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