Tokyo Olympic hopefuls Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar made a stunning return at the second leg of the Australian Beach Volleyball Tour (ABVT) in Glenelg this weekend to claim the gold medal.
Clancy and Artacho del Solar consolidated their status as the number one Australian team with a victorious campaign, after injuries and a break in the beach volleyball calendar had kept them off the court for more than a year.
The Rio 2016 Olympians were able to maintain a clean sheet and didn’t drop a single set throughout the tournament, eventually defeating Stefanie Fejes and Becchara Palmer 2-0 (21-11, 21-16) in the gold medal match.
Despite confessing to a bit of nerves as they stepped onto the court after such an extended hiatus, the top Australian team looked pretty comfortable at Glenelg Beach.
“We're back! It's been 14 months that we haven't competed, so it's really fun and we are super excited to be playing again,” Artacho del Solar said.
“It was a total mix of emotions. We are very excited to be back competing and we definitely got nervous, but we love finals!
"It was really nice to step back on the court, it’s also really exciting to see so much talent out on the courts,” Clancy said.
Clancy and Artacho Del Solar managed to stay fit and focused during the last few months despite all the uncertainty, but returning to competition was definitely a key milestone as they seek to confirm selection for the next Olympic Games.
“We always have goals and things that we are trying to improve, so we're just grateful that we were able to come down here and compete. Volleyball Australia has done a great job during COVID, but it's been really tough, so it's been really nice to be back out here.”
Phoebe Bell and Jess Ngauamo rounded up the Glenelg Beach Open women’s podium outplaying Christie Jenkins and Rebecca Ingram in straight sets (21-17, 21-17).
In the Men’s Division 1, reigning Commonwealth Games champions Chris McHugh and Damien Schumann also finished the tournament undefeated.
The Adelaide-based pair was forced to drop a set in the final by up-and-coming beach volleyball talents Thomas Hodges and Paul Burnett, but maintained composure and eventually outplayed their opponents to a 2-1 victory (21-18, 18-21, 15-11). It’s the second consecutive win in the 2021 ABVT for McHugh/Schumann, who also claimed gold at the Cobram Barooga Classic in January.
“It was tough, those guys [Hodges/Burnett] have been playing really well. We've played them at our last three events, in either the semifinals or, this time, in the final, and every time we play them it's a massive battle. So we're really happy to get the job done when we were so close all the time,” said Schumann.
Despite the challenges and the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, the experienced South Australian team are keeping focused and motivated as they mount their Olympic campaign for Tokyo, looking to make the most out of every chance to compete.
“We're just taking it week by week at the moment, when opportunities arise you've got to be there to take them. For us it's just about trying to improve. When we get the chance to compete, like this weekend, we put our best chance forward and go for it. We're looking forward to Manly and the Australian Championships in two weeks' time. The National Championships are always one of the highlights of the year for us,” said McHugh.
The third leg of the Australian Beach Volleyball Tour, also valid as Australian National Championships, is scheduled from 19-21 February in Manly, NSW, with the gold medal matches to be shown live from 2pm on SBS.
