A variation of volleyball played on the sand first appeared on the beaches of Santa Monica, California, in the 1920s. The first beach volleyball tournament was held in 1947 and the first circuit was launched in the 1950s, involving hundreds of players on Californian beaches. The first professional players’ union was established in the 1980s and the first international tournament was held in 1987.
Beach volleyball made its official debut at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics after appearing as a demonstration sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Brazil and the United States have achieved considerable success in the sport, totalling 24 combined Olympic medals (including 10 gold) out of a possible 42. The only other NOCs to stand on the top step of the podium were Germany in the men’s (London 2012) and women’s (Rio 2016) tournaments, Australia in the women’s tournament (Sydney 2000), and Norway in the men’s tournament (Tokyo 2020).
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