The number one women’s duo in the world ranking, Ana Patrícia/Duda remained practically unstoppable in the last season. With gold medals in Ostrava, Gstaad, Hamburg, Paris and João Pessoa, silver in Tepic and at the World Championships, bronze in Uberlandia and the Doha World Finals, as well as a respectable fifth place in Montreal, the Brazilian power-duo got to celebrate one success after another. Both of them already participated in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, though with different partners at the time. Duda came in ninth place with Ágatha Bednarczuk, whereas Ana Patrícia finished fifth with Rebecca Cavalcanti. Will Ana Patrícia and Duda manage to leave this year's Olympic Games as medal winners? Their impressive track record at least points to this being the case.
Speaking of Ágatha and Rebecca, they also had a fairly successful season last year with a triumph in Chiang Mai, a third place finish in Espinho, and six other top-10 spots in international tournaments. However, despite their impressive 14th spot in the world ranking, three other compatriot duos remain ahead of them, blocking their way to the summer Olympics.
The second-highest ranked Brazilian women's duo, ranked fifth in the world, are Carol and Barbara. In 2023, they won gold medals in Edmonton, Espinho and Haikou, silver in Itapema and João Pessoa and finished in the top 10 on the Beach Pro Tour a further seven times. Barbara has already competed once at the Olympic Games, in 2016 in her home city of Rio, where she and Ágatha won a silver medal. However, should the pair compete in Paris, it would be Carol's first appearance at the Olympics.
At number 10 in the world, Taina and Victoria may still catch up to their compatriots for a spot in the city of lights. With a silver medal in Saquarema, bronze in La Paz, Haikou and Nuvali and seven other top-10 spots on the Beach Pro Tour, including fifth place at the World Championships, they have proven their skills last year time and time again.
George Wanderley and Andre Loyola Stein undoubtedly deserve their fifth place in the world ranking. Last year alone they managed to collect a gold medal in Itapema, silver in Jurmala, bronze in Gstaad and at the Doha World Finals, along with five other top-10 spots on the international stage. At this stage, chances are that a spot in Paris is waiting for them for their first time at the Olympics.
Just a few places behind them, in eighth place in the world ranking, Evandro Oliveira and Arthur Lanci also have a good chance of making it to Paris. Last year, they won a gold medal in Saquarema, bronze in Espinho and achieved eight other top 10 finishes on the World Tour, including at the Beach Volleyball World Championships. While Evandro already took part in the 2016 Olympic Games in his home city of Rio with Pedro Solberg and in Tokyo with Bruno Schmidt in 2020, finishing in ninth place both times, Arthur has no Olympic experience yet - but that could soon change.