Australia's Olympic beach volleyball hopefuls will have the advantage of competing for a Rio berth on home sand, with one of the Games' key qualifying tournaments to be held Down Under.
Volleyball Australia has been selected to host next June's Asian Continental qualifiers, with the possibility the sport may return to Sydney's Bondi Beach for the first time since the 2000 Games.
CEO Mat Meriaux said on Friday he expects plenty of interest from major Australian beaches in holding the event, which is one of two pathways for Australia's players to earn an Olympics spot.
"While it is still early days the potential to once again host a major event at Bondi, the home of so many fantastic memories for our sport, would be incredibly special," Meriaux said.
Bondi was the place where Kerri Pottharst and Natalie Cook won Australia's only Olympic beach volleyball gold medal in 2000.
Australia is hopeful of qualifying two men's and two women's teams for Brazil.
One team can book a spot with a top-15 world ranking, with the Asian qualifier the other avenue to qualify a second team.
Australia's leading women's team of Louise Bawden and Taliqua Clancy are currently ranked fifth on the world tour, while the top men's team of Isaac Kapa and Chris McHugh are ranked 24th.
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