Cape Town, Sudafrica - elite16 - Beach Pro Tour 2022 - News

2021 was an incredible year for Australia's leading team Mariafe Artacho Del Solar and Taliqua Clancy. The highlight was surely winning silver at the Tokyo Olympic Games last August when they marched past reigning world champs Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan of Canada in the quarterfinals with only Alix Klineman and April Ross of USA able to stop their forward momentum in the final.

The medal, Australia's first of the Olympic kind since Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst took gold in 2000, came at the end of a season during which the pair competed in just four other events, picking up fifth, ninth and first-place finishes in Cancun, and another ninth in Gstaad.

With Clancy dominating the net and Artacho del Solar covering all areas of the court in defence, they demonstrated that they are able to rival the very best in the game.

Could they be even better in 2022?

Did you know? Mariafe Artacho del Solar was born in Peru and moved to Australia when she was 11. Her partner, Taliqua Clancy was the first indigenous Australian volleyball player to represent Australia at the Olympics. That was in 2016, partnered with Louise Bawden.