BEACH VOLLEYBALL: Olympic beach volleyball fans heading to historic Horse Guards Parade tomorrow tonight (Saturday) will have to wait until 11pm for the match of the day between Australia and the USA.

Sydney 2000 golden girl Natalie Cook will start her fifth and final Olympics with partner, three-time Olympian Tamsin Hinchley when they meet two-time and defending Olympic champions, US pair Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh in the 15,000 seat venue.

Cook and Hinchley, fifth in Beijing, gained last minute qualification for London through the Continental Cup in Moscow.

“We probably could not have asked for a better game first up match actually against Misty and Kerri. We would rather play them early in the tournament,” said Cook.

“They haven’t played for a couple of weeks and we may catch them napping.”

Australia’s top ranked FIVB pairing of Becchara Palmer and Louise Palmer will kick start their tournament against German pair Sara Goller and Laura Ludwig tomorrow (Sunday) at 4.30pm.

Ian Hanson in London
olympics.com.au