The women's beach volleyball tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was held from August 9 to August 21, at the Beach Volleyball Ground at Chaoyang Park.Available events for Beach Volleyball , euroteam.info.

Each of the 24 pairs in the tournament was placed in one of six groups of four teams apiece, and played a round-robin within that pool. The top two teams in each pool advanced to the Round of 16. The six third-place teams were ranked against each other, with ties being broken by the ratio of points won to lost. The best two advanced to the Round of 16, while the other four played two matches (#3 vs. #6 and #4 vs. #5) with the winners of those two matches advancing as well. The losers of those matches, along with the fourth-place teams in each group, were eliminated.

The 16 teams that advanced to the elimination rounds played a single-elimination tournament with a bronze medal match between the semifinal losers.

Qualification The top eight finishes that a team has from January 1, 2007, to July 20, 2008, on the Swatch FIVB World Tour (2007 and 2008), SWATCH FIVB World Championships (2007) and on FIVB recognised Continental Championship Finals, counts towards Olympic qualification for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.2008 Olympic qualification systems confirmed for Volleyball and Beach Volleyball , FIVB, June 23, 2006.Adelaide hosts season-opening SWATCH FIVB World Tour Event , FIVB, February 26, 2008.

There are 24 teams competing at the Olympic Games, with a maximum of two teams per country., CBC.ca, June 30, 2008.

The United States had four teams in the top 8 of the FIVB Beach Volleyball Olympic Ranking, Brazil had seven teams in the top 24, but only two teams from each country can participate in the Olympic Games. Also, China had three teams and Germany had four teams in the top 24 ranking before the Games.

Qualifiers

The official cut off date for Olympic qualification for beach volleyball was July 20, 2008. The final Olympic Qualification Ranking for the 24 teams, was announced confirmed by the FIVB on July 24, 2008.FIVB announces final Olympic Ranking for men’s and women’s Olympic Beach Volleyball tournaments, FIVB, July 24, 2008.

No.RankTeamNOC FIVB Beach Volleyball Olympic Ranking11Walsh Jennings – May-Treanor22Tian Jia – Wang33Larissa – Ana Paula144Xue – Zhang Xi55Branagh – Youngs66Talita – Renata97Karantasiou – Arvaniti118Goller – Ludwig129Pohl – Rau1310Cook – Barnett1611Håkedal – Tørlen2012Maaseide – Glesnes2113Fernández–Larrea Peraza2314Schwaiger – Schwaiger2515Van Breedam – Mouha2616Esteves Ribalta – M. Crespo2717Koutroumanidou – Tsiartsiani2818Uryadova – Shiryaeva2919Kadijk R. – Mooren3020Kuhn – Schwer23121Candelas – García3222Teru Saiki – Kusuhara3323Saka – Rtvelo8124Augoustides – Nel 1 Juliana Felisberta is replaced by Ana Paula Connelly on the Brazilian team, because of an injury to Juliana.Ana Paula replaces Juliana for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, FIVB, August 7, 2008.

2 Austrian team Montagnolli – Swoboda is replaced by the Swiss team Kuhn – Schwer, because of medical reasons.After Austrian withdrawal for medical reason, Swiss Beach Volleyball pair Kuhn-Schwer qualified for the Olympic Games, FIVB, July 31, 2008.

Participating nations

Preliminary round Directly advance to Round of 16 Third-place/Lucky-Loser playoffs EliminatedThe two best teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinal round.

The composition of the preliminary rounds was announced confirmed on April 16, 2008.FIVB sets system for drawing of lots in Gstaad for Olympic Games Beach Volleyball tournaments, FIVB, April 16, 2008.

The #1 seeded team is placed in pool A, #2 in pool B, #3 in C, #4 in D, #5 in E, and #6 in F. But if the host nation has a team in the top 6 teams, it is automatically seeded as #1. Therefore, China's team Tian Jia – Wang (ranked as #2,) is placed in pool A.

There was held a draw of lots between seed #7 – #9, between #10 – #12, between #13 – #18, and between #19 – #24. The Drawing of lots was hosted by the 1 to 1 Energy Grand Slam, in Gstaad on July 26, as part of the 2008 SWATCH FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour.

After the preliminary rounds, from August 9–14, 2008, the teams placed 1st and 2nd in each pool have qualified for the playoffs. The two best 3rd placed teams have also qualified. Two lucky loser matches qualifies two more of the 3rd placed teams. The two 3rd placed teams that lose their lucky losers match, are out of the competition. Also out of the competition are teams placed 4th in their pool.

All times are China Standard Time (UTC+8)

FIVB confirms Preliminary Round match schedules for men’s and women’s Olympic Beach Volleyball Tournaments, FIVB, July 30, 2008.

Pool A

RkTeamPointsWonLostPWPLSWSL16301491266225211301215234121351343443039312606

Pool B

RkTeamPointsWonLostPWPLSWSL1630126856025211161164234121081112443038812606

Pool C

RkTeamPointsWonLostPWPLSWSL163014311361252115613944341212415435430314015736

Pool D

RkTeamPointsWonLostPWPLSWSL16301391056125211191024234121271203443036812606

Pool E

RkTeamPointsWonLostPWPLSWSL163013912961252111711542341213011734430310713206

Pool F

RkTeamPointsWonLostPWPLSWSL163013912161252112110542341212414635430312513716

Lucky loser Directly advance to Round of 16 Third-place/Lucky-Loser playoffs Eliminated Of the 6 teams that are placed third in their pools, two are directly qualified to the playoffs. Of the four remaining third placed teams, two teams get to the playoffs through winning a lucky loser match.

3rd-placed teams The rank, of the 3rd placed team from each pool, is here determined by the team's ratio. The ratio is calculated as the points won, divided on the points lost.

This table shows the results of the third placed teams after the pool play, and before the lucky loser matches. RkTeamPointsWonLostPWPLRatioSWSL14121301171.1113424121271201.0583434121351341.0073444121081110.9722454121241460.8493564121201540.77935

Lucky Loser Results of the Lucky Loser matches only. RkTeamPointsWonLostPWPLSWSL12104232202101324202

RkTeamPointsWonLostPWPLSWSL12105645212101455612

Playoffs

Round of 16 The United States, Brazil and China managed to directly qualify two teams each, for the Round of 16, through the pool play. All six teams then won their matches in the Round of 16, and qualified for the quarterfinals. Austria and Australia also won each their Round of 16 match, and took the remaining two spots in the quarterfinals.

On August 15, one of the spectators gave birth to a baby boy, in the bathroom of the Olympic beach volleyball stadium where she was watching the women's playoff. Medical workers received the message about the woman at 10:10 a.m., and the baby was already born when they arrived 4 minutes later.China Focus: Olympics light Chinese passion, Xinhua, August 16, 2008.

Overview If the host nation has a team in the top 6 teams on the FIVB Olympic ranking when the Olympic Games begin, it is automatically seeded as #1. Therefore, China's team Tian Jia – Wang (ranked as #2 on the Olympic ranking,) is seeded as #1.

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Bronze medal match

Gold medal match

Award ceremony 12:10, Aug 21, 2008

Final ranking If the host nation has a team in the top 6 teams on the FIVB Olympic ranking when the Olympic Games begin, it is automatically seeded as #1. Therefore, China's team Tian Jia – Wang (ranked as #2 on the FIVB Olympic ranking before the Olympic Games,) is seeded as #1.FIVB - 2008 Women's Beach Volleyball Olympic Games, FIVB. RANK TEAMSEED 2 1 44.65.3510149.8911121315161717.212319.71819202224

References Notes

Sources Beach Volleyball Results, The official website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Competition format

External links Current Standing Olympic Beach Volleyball Qualification Women, at the FIVB Official Page Beach Volleyball at The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games