Canadian beach volleyball teams qualify for Paris

TLAXCALA CITY — Canada clinched gold in men’s and women’s beach volleyball on Sunday — along with some continental berths to the 2024 Paris Olympics in 2024.

The men’s and women’s teams took first place at the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Mexico.

Heather Bansley of Waterdown, Ont. and Sophie Bukovec of Toronto, who have been playing together for just under a year, were undefeated at the tournament and won the women’s gold.

In Sunday’s final, Bansley and Bukovec defeated Mexico’s Atenas Gutierrez and Susana Torres 2-0 (21-16, 21-17).

This will be Bansley’s third Olympics (2016, 2020), but now with new playing partner and debutant Bukovec.

“I am very proud. We came here with the goal of qualifying for Paris and we did just that,” said Bansley.

“It’s been a crazy 11 months for our team and it’s incredible that we were able to qualify. I am so proud of Sophie. … If you asked me a year ago if we would be here, it was probably a crazy dream. It’s incredible.”

Samuel Schachter of Richmond Hill, Ont. and Toronto’s Daniel Dearing defeated Mexico’s Juan Virgen and Ricardo Galindo 2-0 (21-13, 21-13) in Sunday’s gold medal final.

“I played with a lot of joy today, I really enjoyed the game,” Schachter said. “I was in the moment. … This was a team win and we had so much support.

“Today, we were able to really focus on the right things and manage the moment. I can’t wait to represent our country.” Schachter previously played in Rio 2016 with then-beach partner Josh Binstock, although Dearing will be a newcomer to the Olympics, he is a Commonwealth Games silver medalist with three beach teams that Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson have already secured a spot with their solid position in the women’s world rankings. Beach teams will officially be part of Team Canada when they are nominated and announced by the Canadian Olympic Committee (the official team announcement is still to come).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 23, 2024.

The Canadian Press