# Beach volleyball at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament

The women's beach volleyball tournament at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, took place at the Shiokaze Park. The competition was held from 24 July to 6 August 2021. It was originally scheduled to take place from 25 July to 8 August 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IOC and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee announced on 24 March 2020 that the 2020 Summer Olympics would be delayed to 2021. Because of this pandemic, the games were played behind closed doors. Twenty-four teams with 48 athletes from around the world competed for the gold medal.
April Ross and Alix Klineman won the gold medal, defeating Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar in the final, while Joana Heidrich and Anouk Vergé-Dépré won the bronze medal.
The medals for the competition were presented by Mustapha Berraf, Algeria; IOC Honorary Member, and the medalists' bouquets were presented by Ary Graça, Brazil; FIVB President.

## Qualification

| Means of qualification | Date | Venue | Vacancies | Qualified |
| Host nation | — | — | 1 | Japan |
| 2019 World Championships | 28 June – 7 July 2019 | Hamburg | 1 | Canada |
| 2019 FIVB Olympic Qualification Tournament | 18–22 September 2019 | Haiyang | 2 | Latvia |
| 2019 FIVB Olympic Qualification Tournament | 18–22 September 2019 | Haiyang | 2 | Spain |
| FIVB Beach Volleyball Olympic Ranking | 13 June 2021 | Lausanne | 15 | United States |
| FIVB Beach Volleyball Olympic Ranking | 13 June 2021 | Lausanne | 15 | Brazil |
| FIVB Beach Volleyball Olympic Ranking | 13 June 2021 | Lausanne | 15 | Brazil |
| FIVB Beach Volleyball Olympic Ranking | 13 June 2021 | Lausanne | 15 | Australia |
| FIVB Beach Volleyball Olympic Ranking | 13 June 2021 | Lausanne | 15 | United States |
| FIVB Beach Volleyball Olympic Ranking | 13 June 2021 | Lausanne | 15 | Switzerland |
| FIVB Beach Volleyball Olympic Ranking | 13 June 2021 | Lausanne | 15 | ROC |
| FIVB Beach Volleyball Olympic Ranking | 13 June 2021 | Lausanne | 15 | Canada |
| FIVB Beach Volleyball Olympic Ranking | 13 June 2021 | Lausanne | 15 | Switzerland |
| FIVB Beach Volleyball Olympic Ranking | 13 June 2021 | Lausanne | 15 | Netherlands |
| FIVB Beach Volleyball Olympic Ranking | 13 June 2021 | Lausanne | 15 | China |
| FIVB Beach Volleyball Olympic Ranking | 13 June 2021 | Lausanne | 15 | Czech Republic |
| FIVB Beach Volleyball Olympic Ranking | 13 June 2021 | Lausanne | 15 | Germany |
| FIVB Beach Volleyball Olympic Ranking | 13 June 2021 | Lausanne | 15 | Germany |
| FIVB Beach Volleyball Olympic Ranking | 13 June 2021 | Lausanne | 15 | Italy |
| 2018–2020 CEV Continental Cup Final | 23–26 June 2021 | The Hague | 1 | Netherlands |
| 2018–2020 AVC Continental Cup Final | 25–27 June 2021 | Nakhon Pathom | 1 | China |
| 2018–2020 CAVB Continental Cup Final | 25–27 June 2021 | Agadir | 1 | Kenya |
| 2018–2020 NORCECA Continental Cup Final | 25–27 June 2021 | Colima | 1 | Cuba |
| 2018–2020 CSV Continental Cup Final | 26–27 June 2021 | Asunción | 1 | Argentina |
| Total | Total | Total | 24 | |

## Teams

Twenty four teams were drawn in six pools of four teams.
| Team | NOC |
| Ana Gallay / Fernanda Pereyra | Argentina |
| Taliqua Clancy / Mariafe Artacho del Solar | Australia |
| Ágatha Bednarczuk / Eduarda Santos Lisboa | Brazil |
| Ana Patrícia Ramos / Rebecca Cavalcanti | Brazil |
| Heather Bansley / Brandie Wilkerson | Canada |
| Sarah Pavan / Melissa Humana-Paredes | Canada |
| Wang Fan / Xia Xinyi | China |
| Xue Chen / Wang Xinxin | China |
| Lidy Echevarría / Leila Martínez | Cuba |
| Barbora Hermannová / Markéta Sluková | Czech Republic |
| Margareta Kozuch / Laura Ludwig | Germany |
| Julia Sude / Karla Borger | Germany |
| Marta Menegatti / Viktoria Orsi Toth | Italy |
| Miki Ishii / Megumi Murakami | Japan |
| Gaudencia Makokha / Brackcides Khadambi | Kenya |
| Anastasija Kravčenoka / Tīna Graudiņa | Latvia |
| Sanne Keizer / Madelein Meppelink | Netherlands |
| Katja Stam / Raïsa Schoon | Netherlands |
| Nadezda Makroguzova / Svetlana Kholomina | ROC |
| Liliana Fernández / Elsa Baquerizo | Spain |
| Nina Betschart / Tanja Hüberli | Switzerland |
| Joana Heidrich / Anouk Vergé-Dépré | Switzerland |
| Kelly Claes / Sarah Sponcil | United States |
| Alix Klineman / April Ross | United States |

## Draw

The draw was made on 5 July 2021.
| Pool A | Pool B | Pool C |
| Pavan – Humana-Paredes (CAN) | Klineman – Ross (USA) | Ágatha – Duda (BRA) |
| Heidrich – Vergé-Dépré (SUI) | Keizer – Meppelink (NED) | Bansley – Wilkerson (CAN) |
| Sude – Borger (GER) | Liliana – Baquerizo (ESP) | Wang F – Xia (CHN) |
| Stam – Schoon (NED) | Xue – Wang X (CHN) | Gallay – Pereyra (ARG) |
| Pool D | Pool E | Pool F |
| Ana Patrícia – Rebecca (BRA) | Clancy – Artacho del Solar (AUS) | Ishii – Murakami (JPN) |
| Claes – Sponcil (USA) | Makroguzova – Kholomina (ROC) | Betschart – Hüberli (SUI) |
| Kravčenoka – Graudiņa (LAT) | Menegatti – Orsi Toth (ITA) | Kozuch – Ludwig (GER) |
| Makokha – Khadambi (KEN) | Lidy – Leila (CUB) | Hermannová – Sluková (CZE) |

## Referees

The following referees were selected for the tournament.
* Osvaldo Sumavil
* Mário Ferro
* Wang Lijun
* Juan Carlos Saavedra
* Charalampos Papadogoulas
* Mariko Satomi
* Davide Crescentini
* Agnieszka Myszkowska
* Rui Carvalho
* Roman Pristovakin
* Giovanni Bake
* José María Padrón
* Brig Beatie

## Preliminary round

All times are local (UTC+9).

### Pool A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR | Qualification |
| 1 | Pavan – Humana-Paredes (CAN) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | MAX | 129 | 96 | 1.344 | Round of 16 |
| 2 | Vergé-Dépré – Heidrich (SUI) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1.333 | 135 | 120 | 1.125 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | Stam – Schoon (NED) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0.500 | 113 | 123 | 0.919 | Lucky losers |
| 4 | Sude – Borger (GER) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 0.167 | 106 | 144 | 0.736 | |

### Pool B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR | Qualification |
| 1 | Ross – Klineman (USA) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 6.000 | 140 | 109 | 1.284 | Round of 16 |
| 2 | Xue – Wang X (CHN) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1.333 | 143 | 128 | 1.117 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | Liliana – Baquerizo (ESP) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 0.400 | 108 | 137 | 0.788 | Lucky losers |
| 4 | Keizer – Meppelink (NED) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0.500 | 160 | 177 | 0.904 | |

### Pool C

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR | Qualification |
| 1 | Wang F – Xia (CHN) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 6.000 | 138 | 106 | 1.302 | Round of 16 |
| 2 | Ágatha – Duda (BRA) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2.000 | 116 | 108 | 1.074 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | Bansley – Wilkerson (CAN) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0.750 | 126 | 128 | 0.984 | Round of 16 |
| 4 | Gallay – Pereyra (ARG) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0.000 | 89 | 127 | 0.701 | |

### Pool D

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR | Qualification |
| 1 | Claes – Sponcil (USA) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3.000 | 147 | 110 | 1.336 | Round of 16 |
| 2 | Graudiņa – Kravčenoka (LAT) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1.667 | 135 | 120 | 1.125 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | Ana Patrícia – Rebecca (BRA) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1.000 | 141 | 125 | 1.128 | Round of 16 |
| 4 | Makokha – Khadambi (KEN) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0.000 | 58 | 126 | 0.460 | |

### Pool E

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR | Qualification |
| 1 | Makroguzova – Kholomina (ROC) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 6.000 | 135 | 101 | 1.337 | Round of 16 |
| 2 | Artacho del Solar – Clancy (AUS) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2.500 | 126 | 119 | 1.059 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | Lidy – Leila (CUB) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0.500 | 98 | 116 | 0.845 | Lucky losers |
| 4 | Menegatti – Orsi Toth (ITA) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0.000 | 104 | 127 | 0.819 | |

### Pool F

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR | Qualification |
| 1 | Hüberli – Betschart (SUI) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3.000 | 111 | 111 | 1.000 | Round of 16 |
| 2 | Ludwig – Kozuch (GER) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2.500 | 102 | 98 | 1.041 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | Ishii – Murakami (JPN) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0.750 | 89 | 93 | 0.957 | Lucky losers |
| 4 | Hermannová – Sluková (CZE) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0.000 | 0 | 126 | 0.000 | Did not start |
* ↑ Team Hermannova – Slukova (CZE) was unable to play the match due to COVID-19 regulations. In accordance with the rules for beach volleyball, the other teams were given two points and they were awarded a defeat and 1 point.

### Lucky losers

The table below shows the ranking of third-placed teams in the preliminary round. The top two teams advanced to next round automatically. The other teams competed for the two remaining spots. The third-ranked team played against the sixth-ranked team, and the fourth-ranked team played against the fifth-ranked team.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR | Qualification |
| 1 | Ana Patrícia – Rebecca (BRA) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1.000 | 141 | 125 | 1.128 | Round of 16 |
| 2 | Bansley – Wilkerson (CAN) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0.750 | 126 | 128 | 0.984 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | Ishii – Murakami (JPN) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0.750 | 89 | 93 | 0.957 | Lucky loser playoffs |
| 4 | Stam – Schoon (NED) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0.500 | 113 | 123 | 0.919 | Lucky loser playoffs |
| 5 | Lidy – Leila (CUB) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0.500 | 98 | 116 | 0.845 | Lucky loser playoffs |
| 6 | Liliana – Baquerizo (ESP) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 0.400 | 108 | 137 | 0.788 | Lucky loser playoffs |

#### Lucky loser playoffs
## Knockout stage

The round of sixteen pair ups were determined by a draw following the group stage.

### Bracket

| Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Gold medal | Gold medal |
| 2 August | 2 August | | | | | | |
| Pavan – Humana-Paredes (CAN) | 2 | | | | | | |
| Pavan – Humana-Paredes (CAN) | 2 | 3 August | 3 August | | | | | |
| Liliana – Baquerizo (ESP) | 0 | 3 August | 3 August | | | | |
| Liliana – Baquerizo (ESP) | 0 | Pavan – Humana-Paredes (CAN) | 1 | | | | |
| 1 August | 1 August | | Pavan – Humana-Paredes (CAN) | 1 | | | | |
| 1 August | 1 August | Clancy – Artacho del Solar (AUS) | 2 | | | | |
| Clancy – Artacho del Solar (AUS) | 2 | Clancy – Artacho del Solar (AUS) | 2 | | | | |
| Clancy – Artacho del Solar (AUS) | 2 | | | | 5 August | 5 August | | |
| Xue – Wang X (CHN) | 0 | | | | 5 August | 5 August | |
| Xue – Wang X (CHN) | 0 | | | | Clancy – Artacho del Solar (AUS) | 2 | |
| 1 August | 1 August | | | | | Clancy – Artacho del Solar (AUS) | 2 | |
| 1 August | 1 August | | | | Kravčenoka – Graudiņa (LAT) | 0 | |
| Makroguzova – Kholomina (ROC) | 1 | | | | Kravčenoka – Graudiņa (LAT) | 0 | |
| Makroguzova – Kholomina (ROC) | 1 | 3 August | 3 August | | | | | |
| Kravčenoka – Graudiņa (LAT) | 2 | 3 August | 3 August | | | | |
| Kravčenoka – Graudiņa (LAT) | 2 | Kravčenoka – Graudiņa (LAT) | 2 | | | | |
| 1 August | 1 August | | Kravčenoka – Graudiņa (LAT) | 2 | | | | |
| 1 August | 1 August | Bansley – Wilkerson (CAN) | 1 | | | | |
| Bansley – Wilkerson (CAN) | 2 | Bansley – Wilkerson (CAN) | 1 | | | | |
| Bansley – Wilkerson (CAN) | 2 | | | | | | | 6 August | 6 August |
| Claes – Sponcil (USA) | 1 | | | | | | | 6 August | 6 August |
| Claes – Sponcil (USA) | 1 | | | | | | | Clancy – Artacho del Solar (AUS) | 0 |
| 1 August | 1 August | | | | | | | | Clancy – Artacho del Solar (AUS) | 0 |
| 1 August | 1 August | | | | | | | Ross – Klineman (USA) | 2 |
| Wang F – Xia (CHN) | 0 | | | | | | | Ross – Klineman (USA) | 2 |
| Wang F – Xia (CHN) | 0 | 3 August | 3 August | | | | | | |
| Ana Patrícia – Rebecca (BRA) | 2 | 3 August | 3 August | | | | | | |
| Ana Patrícia – Rebecca (BRA) | 2 | Ana Patrícia – Rebecca (BRA) | 1 | | | | | | |
| 1 August | 1 August | | Ana Patrícia – Rebecca (BRA) | 1 | | | | | | |
| 1 August | 1 August | Heidrich – Vergé-Dépré (SUI) | 2 | | | | | | |
| Heidrich – Vergé-Dépré (SUI) | 2 | Heidrich – Vergé-Dépré (SUI) | 2 | | | | | | |
| Heidrich – Vergé-Dépré (SUI) | 2 | | | | 5 August | 5 August | | | | |
| Hüberli – Betschart (SUI) | 1 | | | | 5 August | 5 August | | | |
| Hüberli – Betschart (SUI) | 1 | | | | Heidrich – Vergé-Dépré (SUI) | 0 | | | |
| 1 August | 1 August | | | | | Heidrich – Vergé-Dépré (SUI) | 0 | | | |
| 1 August | 1 August | | | | Ross – Klineman (USA) | 2 | | Bronze medal | Bronze medal |
| Kozuch – Ludwig (GER) | 2 | | | | Ross – Klineman (USA) | 2 | | Bronze medal | Bronze medal |
| Kozuch – Ludwig (GER) | 2 | 3 August | 3 August | | | | | 6 August | 6 August |
| Ágatha – Duda (BRA) | 1 | 3 August | 3 August | | | | | 6 August | 6 August |
| Ágatha – Duda (BRA) | 1 | Kozuch – Ludwig (GER) | 0 | | | | | Kravčenoka – Graudiņa (LAT) | 0 |
| 2 August | 2 August | | Kozuch – Ludwig (GER) | 0 | | | | | Kravčenoka – Graudiņa (LAT) | 0 |
| 2 August | 2 August | Ross – Klineman (USA) | 2 | | | | | Heidrich – Vergé-Dépré (SUI) | 2 |
| Lidy – Leila (CUB) | 0 | Ross – Klineman (USA) | 2 | | | | | Heidrich – Vergé-Dépré (SUI) | 2 |
| Ross – Klineman (USA) | 2 | | | | | | | | |

### Gold medal game
## Final ranking

| Rank | Team |
| | Ross – Klineman (USA) |
| | Clancy – Artacho del Solar (AUS) |
| | Heidrich – Vergé-Dépré (SUI) |
| 4 | Kravčenoka – Graudiņa (LAT) |
| 5 | Ana Patrícia – Rebecca (BRA) |
| 5 | Bansley – Wilkerson (CAN) |
| 5 | Pavan – Humana-Paredes (CAN) |
| 5 | Kozuch – Ludwig (GER) |
| 9 | Ágatha – Duda (BRA) |
| 9 | Wang F – Xia (CHN) |
| 9 | Xue – Wang X (CHN) |
| 9 | Lidy – Leila (CUB) |
| 9 | Makroguzova – Kholomina (ROC) |
| 9 | Hüberli – Betschart (SUI) |
| 9 | Liliana – Baquerizo (ESP) |
| 9 | Claes – Sponcil (USA) |
| 17 | Ishii – Murakami (JPN) |
| 17 | Stam – Schoon (NED) |
| 19 | Gallay – Pereyra (ARG) |
| 19 | Hermannová – Sluková (CZE) |
| 19 | Sude – Borger (GER) |
| 19 | Menegatti – Orsi Toth (ITA) |
| 19 | Makokha – Khadambi (KEN) |
| 19 | Keizer – Meppelink (NED) |