(ATR) Brazilian beach volleyball player Elize Maia says that holding the Olympic finals at night will bring a wonderful atmosphere to Rio de Janeiro.
The International Volleyball Federation is hosting a stop on the world tour on Copacabana Beach from Sept. 2-6, which is serving as the Olympic test event for the sport. To mimic Olympic conditions, some matches are taking place late at night.
Maia saidnighttime games would "bring even more public, because people work during the day".
"Regarding the light, it does not hurt us. Also, at night it gets cooler," she said.
On the official Games schedule the latest matches begin at 10pm and may last until the early hours of the morning.
The world tour event has 162 athletes participating from all over the world, including three-time Olympic gold medalist Kerry Walsh, who is preparing for her fourth Games.
"I am really happy we came here, in the whole scheme of things. I think it is really good to be playing at a big tournament here a year out," Walsh told Around the Rings.
"We’re determined to get to the Olympics and play the best volleyball ever in 2016."
Walsh is competing with a new partner April Ross, who placed second at the London Olympics to Walsh and her former partner Misty May.
"The venue is set up really nicely and we enjoy playing here. It looks really great," Ross toldATR."The organization has been great. They are treating it like the Olympics so details are important, we need to get used to that."
For many of the other Brazilian athletes, the experience of playing in the future Olympic venue brings both excitement, as well as a reminder of the goal for the next 12 months.
"We are playing with our whole families here, this gives a plus for us," Evandro Gonclaves, a Brazilian volleyball player said."This is a structure that I've never seen before here in Rio de Janeiro. It is very nice and I intend to enjoy it a lot."
Gonclaves’ partner Pedro Solberg says he "has been waiting for this moment," to compete on the world tour in front of home fans for a long time."It is not easy to put together an event of this size. The organizers are to be congratulated," he said.
"Not too long ago, the Brazilian Volleyball Federation, Rio 2016 and the FIVB decided to make this event and did a great job. It is very good."
Reported by Aaron Bauer in Rio de Janeiro
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