It's a long time to be away from home and their young families, but Heese says it's the only way to be competitive in a sport dominated by Brazilians. You take eight months off, even though you're training, you can't simulate the best Brazilian blocker and defender in the world. You get a little bit out of game shape, but we'll get right back into it. Brazil is the sport's powerhouse. I actually felt we were closer in Sydney than we were in Atlanta to winning.
Beach volleyball is one of Brazil's most popular sports.
The game's top athletes there play on domestic tours all year long, something Child says puts Canada at a disadvantage. They have a well-established tour among top players that they play against all the time. And relative to the Brazilians, who have been playing for 40-odd years, the tour here in Canada is fairly new. But that's always a battle. Child and Heese are also looking ahead to Greece and one more shot a competing for Olympic gold.