Carnival Atmosphere for Beach Volleyball

(ATR) They are already some of the best-ranked players in the world, but Brazil’s beach volleyball teams have a not-so-secret weapon here at the Games – the crowd.

When USA’s Lauren Fendrick and Brooke Sweat took on the highly favored Brazilian duo of Larissa Franca and Talita Antunes in Copacabana on Tuesday, the USA team really didn’t stand a chance.

Around 10,000 vocal supporters packed into the stadium on Copacabana beach, roaring every time Brazil scored. Not so sporting were the boos when the USA was serving. But it worked, with the Brazilians winning in straight sets and securing a quarter-finals berth.

The atmosphere had a Carnival feel to it, with glittering samba dancers dotted throughout the stands and music and dancers on the court between sets. It all served perfectly to entertain the crowd, with the cheering and singing being able to be heard all the way down Copacabana beach.

The most popular sport in Brazil after football, beach volleyball was always going to be a hit at the Games, especially with its iconic location. However, the crowds for other matches have not matched the hype and atmosphere of when Brazil is in action.

The venue holds just over 12,000 spectators, and while Rio 2016 claimed to have 7,500 for Tuesday night’s match between Germany and Canada, the sparsely filled seats would attest otherwise.

With another seven days of action down at Copacabana and Brazil likely to feature heavily in the finals, the Copacabana Carnival is surely just warming up.

Written by Alice Wheeler in Rio de Janeiro.

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