Ekaterina and Semenov gearing up for the Moscow Grand Slam – Volleyball news
The Russian duo of Ekaterina Khomyakova and Konstantin Semenov is getting ready for the upcoming home challenge, which is set to take place in the month of June.
The Moscow Grand Slam Beach Volleyball tournament will be held from June 6-11. The tournament will create an excellent opportunity for beach volleyball players to catch the limelight and it will also put the players to a real test of temperament. The pairing
of Ekaterina Khomyakova and Konstantin Semenov will play under the tag of home team and will try to secure the title in their custody.
Khomyakova is an experienced player and she will be heading into her fourth season on the FIVB Beach Volleyball SWATCH World Tour. The native of Obninsk competed in 14 events on last year’s circuit alongside two different partners.
However, she will make an appearance at the 2012 Moscow Grand Slam with her new partner Konstantin Semenov. Both players on the team are determined to qualify for the 2012 London Olympic Games.
The Moscow Grand Slam has great importance as it will serve as the qualification tournament for the London Olympics.
Khomyakova expressed her views in the following manner when she first heard the news about Moscow Grand Slam, “Honestly, we are very happy to hear the news that Moscow will stage a Grand Slam again. Despite the fact that it is doubly hard to play at home
and there is a lot of pressure, the proverb that says the home support helps you is true. I want to please all the fans with medals in Moscow.”
In the previous edition of the Moscow Grand Slam, the American tandem of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh made it to the top. They performed amazingly well and secured the top slot. They defeated Brazilian pairing of Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa
Franca, while China’s Chen Xue and Xi Zhang finished third in the tournament. The hosts failed to profit the home advantage and could not find a place in the top-three rankings of the tournament. Nonetheless, another fine opportunity is just around the corner
and Russian teams should benefit from it.
In the recent years, Russia has improved its credentials in sport of beach volleyball, with two women’s and four men’s teams turning out for the FIVB Beach Volleyball SWATCH World Championships 2011 in Rome. It is a good sign and indicates that Russia will
do well in the competition.
Russian players are being trained by the Italian coach Marco Solustri, who joined the Russian women’s beach volleyball team earlier this season. Formerly, Sergei Molchanov was attached with the team as official coach. Marco has the daunting task of preparing
Khomyakova and Semenov for the upcoming tough challenge and he is working hard on the team.
Khomyakova stated, “Hopefully, with the support of our spectators this goal will be achieved. As for any athlete the main goal is the Olympic Games in London.”
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