Aussie duo look to continue strong form at Beach Pro Tour in Czechia
Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar will be looking to continue their strong start to the 2023 Beach Pro Tour season at this week’s tournament which starts tomorrow in Ostrava.
The event in Czechia’s third-largest city marks the third event of the season, with the Olympic silver medallists taking second and third place finishes away from the opening two tournaments.
They are currently on a run of four-straight Beach Pro Tour podiums following Torquay, Victoria in November and at last season’s Elite16 Finals in Doha, Qatar in February.
The Australians go into Ostrava as the number three seeds, one behind their current world ranking of number two.
Each event on the Beach Pro Tour is vital to earning points towards Paris 2024 Olympic qualification.
The top 17 teams during the qualification period (ending 9 June 2024) will win their nation a quota spot in Paris, with Clancy and Artacho del Solar currently fifth on FIVB’s Provisional Olympic Ranking.
The Australians open their Ostrava campaign on Thursday evening (8:40pm AEST) against the American pair of Julia Scoles and Betsi Flint .
Two Friday matches will round out pool C with their first coming against USA’s Sarah Hughes and Kelly Chang (5:20pm AEST) who won the opening event of the season in Mexico and finished fourth in Brazil. Their final Pool C opponent (11:40pm) will be determined in qualifying later today.
The round of 12, quarter finals and semi finals will be decided on Saturday and Sunday with the medal matches commencing on Sunday at 8pm AEST.
All matches from the Beach Pro Tour Elite16 in Ostrava, Czechia can be streamed live on volleyballworld.tv.
2023 Beach Pro Tour Elite16
Ostrava CZE
31 May to 4 June
Pool C Matches – Mariafe Artacho del Solar/Taliqua Clancy (AUS)
Thursday 8:40pm (AEST) v Julia Scoles/Betsi Flint (USA)
Friday 5:20pm (AEST) v Sarah Hughes/Kelly Chang (USA)
Friday 11:40pm (AEST) v TBC
Knockout stages to follow over the weekend.
