Mexico's Olympic Volleyball Hopefuls Serve Up Passion
Mexico's beach volleyball hopefuls, Atenas and Susana (women) and Juan and Ricardo (men), head to Tlaxcala's Pre-Olympic tournament for a shot at Paris 2024 glory. After intense training and a Brazilian bootcamp, they're ready to battle the heat and fierce competition.
The Mexican Volleyball Federation (FMVB) announced the national pairs that will compete in the Tlaxcala 2024 Continental Pre-Olympic, to be held in said entity from June 21 to 23 and which will distribute the last tickets for the Paris Olympic Games.
Those chosen to compete in the women's category were Atenas Gutiérrez and Susana Torres, while Juan Virgen, Olympian in Rio 2016, and Ricardo Galindo will do the same in the men's category.
The announcement came as soon as the national teams returned to our country after having spent two weeks in an intense camp in Brazil, where Abril Flores, Yeray Vidaurrazaga, Miguel Sarabia and Gabriel Cruz were also present, in addition to the coaching staff.
Gutiérrez and Torres will try to continue demonstrating good synergy as a team, since they have already won three medals (two silver and one bronze) in stops on the Tour of the Confederation of North America, Central America and the Caribbean (NORCECA).
“It has always been a dream and an honor to represent Mexico. I am playing my first Olympic cycle, and a few days away from competing for the pass there are many emotions of stepping on the sand and fighting until the end to achieve the goal that we have been longing for and working for so much. We know that it will not be an easy task, but it is not impossible; “Susana and I are very proud of the work we have done as a team, and we will do everything to fulfill our dream,” said Atenas Gutiérrez.
Virgen, who recovered satisfactorily from an injury, and Galindo worked together and got along great in Brazilian soil, so they will try to reflect that understanding on the field in the last opportunity to attend the summer tournament.
“I am very happy to compete in the last opportunity we have to reach the Olympic Games. We are very committed to coming to fight for that pass and that dream of being there again, of having the Mexican flag be in Paris. We earned the place of being here to commit ourselves to the people who trust in national beach volleyball to achieve classification,” said Juan Virgen.
Atenas Gutiérrez and Susana Torres, Mexico's dynamic beach volleyball duo, are ready to spike their way to Paris. Credit: CONADE
