Beach Volleyball
Beach Volleyball is one of two disciplines in the Olympic sport of Volleyball.
In the 1960s, The Beatles appeared at the legendary Sorrento Beach in Los Angeles for a quick hit on the beach volleyball court.
A total of 384 athletes will compete for four gold medals in the sport of Volleyball at the 2012 Games.
A volleyball ball weighs between 260g and 280g. It is made of synthetic leather.
Key facts
Venue: Horse Guards Parade
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Thursday 9 August
Gold medals up for grabs: 2
Athletes: 96
Volleyball: a history of the sport
Beach volleyball first appeared in the early 1920s in Santa Monica, California. What started as just family fun became a sport spreading rapidly across the world. By the 1930s, the game had reached countries like Czechoslovakia, Latvia and Bulgaria.
The first official two-man tournament took place in 1947, and the first beach volleyball circuit, involving hundreds of players and five California beaches, began in the 1950s.
