Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 5, 2016 - Italy's Adrian Carambula/Alex Ranghieri and Austria's Clemens Doppler/Alexander Horst get the 2016 Rio Olympics started with a Pool A match between the #12 and #13 seeded teams.
In the previous three Olympic Games, the #12 seed has won two of these first-round matchups with the #13 seed winning the last time in 2012. While Adrian and Alex are each playing in their first Olympic Games, Clemens and Alexander will be looking to improve on their 19th-place finish as the #24 seed in London.
Carambula/Alex Ranghieri and Clemens Doppler/Alexander Horst have played just one time previously on the FIVB World Tour with Doppler/Horst winning 31-29 and 21-16 in 48 minutes at last June's Porec Major in a Pool B match. Carambula/Ranghieri got their revenge two month's later in the quarterfinals of the European Confederation's (CEV) Championship Final, 21-17 and 23-21 in 47 minutes.
Adrian Carambula/Alex Ranghieri, ITA, Seed #12, Pool A, Qualified 12th with 5,090 Points in 2015-16
• Adrian: March 16, 1988 (28y4m21d), 183 cm (6'0"), 84 kg (186 lbs.), Hometown: Montevideo, Uruguay, 22nd FIVB World Tour event, $96,250 career winnings
• Alex: June 18, 1987 (29y1m19d), 198 cm (6'6"), 88 kg (195 lbs.), Hometown: Pordenone, 48th FIVB World Tour event, $151,800 career winnings
• Adrian and Alex have been playing together since 2015. They are playing in their 22nd FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together with $192,500 career winnings (ranks 100th).
• Adrian has played in six FIVB World Tour final fours with two gold medals, one bronze medal and three 4th place finishes.
• Alex has played in eight FIVB World Tour final fours with three gold medals, one bronze medal and four 4th place finishes.
• Adrian and Alex have played in six Final Fours in 2015-2016 (Bronze Porec Major Series 2015, 4th Gstaad Major Series 2015, Gold Antalya Open 2016, 4th Vitória Open 2016, Gold Doha Open 2016, 4th Sochi Open 2016).
• Adrian and Alex are currently ranked 3rd in FIVB World Tour points in 2016 with 5,060 points and 11th in winnings with $112,500.
• Adrian and Alex have a career 78-39 (66.7%) match record in FIVB World Tour Events all in the 2015-16 Olympic qualification period.
• Adrian and Alex won the silver medal at the 2015 CEV Beach Volleyball European Championship Final in 2015 (Klagenfurt, Austria).
• Adrian and Alex won the gold medal at the 2015 CEV Beach Volleyball European Milan Masters in 2015 (Milan, Italy).
• Adrian was named the FIVB World Tour Top Rookie in 2015.
Clemens Doppler/Alexander Horst, AUT, Seed #13, Pool A, Qualified 13th with 5,020 Points in 2015-16
• Clemens: September 6, 1980 (35y11m0d), 200 cm (6'7"), 87 kg (193 lbs.), Hometown Steyr, 156th FIVB World Tour event, $477,282 career winnings (ranks 36th)
• Alexander: December 20, 1982 (33y7m17d), 186 cm (6'1"), 85 kg (189 lbs.), Hometown Vienna, 110th FIVB World Tour event, $368,600 career winnings (ranks 52nd)
• Clemens and Alexander have been playing together since 2012. They are playing in their 43rd FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together with $421,100 career winnings (ranks 43rd).
• Clemens has played in eight FIVB World Tour final fours with two silver medals, two bronze medals and four 4th place finishes.
• Alexander has played in nine FIVB World Tour final fours with two silver medals, two bronze medals and five 4th place finishes.
• Clemens and Alexander have played in three Final Fours in 2015-2016 (4th St. Petersburg Grand Slam 2015, Bronze Yokohama Grand Slam 2015, Silver Porec Major Series 2016).
• Clemens and Alexander finished 19th in the Olympic Games in 2012 (London).
• Clemens finished 9th in the Olympic Games with Peter Gartmayer in 2008 (Beijing).
• Alexander finished 5th in the Olympic Games with Florian Gosch in 2008 (Beijing).
• Clemens and Alexander finished 9th in the FIVB World Championships in 2013 (Stare Jablonki) and 17th in 2015 (The Hague).
• Clemens finished 33rd in the FIVB World Championships with Dietmar Maderbock in 2001 (Klagenfurt), finished 17th in 2003 (Rio de Janeiro) and 25th in 2005 (Berlin), both with Nikolas Berger , 9th with Peter Gartmayer in 2007 (Gstaad), 17th in 2009 (Stavanger) and 9th in 2011 (Rome), both with Matthias Mellitzer.
• Alexander finished 9th in the FIVB World Championships in 2007 (Gstaad) and 9th in 2009 (Stavanger), both with Florian Gosch , and 17th with Daniel Mullner in 2011 (Rome).
• Clemens and Alexander are currently ranked 25th in FIVB World Tour points in 2016 with 2,740 points and 15th in winnings with $95,200.
• Clemens (155) ranks 14th and Alexander (109) ranks 49th in all-time FIVB World Tour individual tournaments. Clemens has played in more FIVB World Tour events than any other men's player competing in the Rio Olympics.
• Clemens and Alexander have a career 98-93 (51.3%) match record in FIVB World Tour Events and a 45-46 (49.5%) record in the 2015-16 Olympic qualification period.
• Clemens and Alexander won the bronze medal at the 2014 CEV Beach Volleyball European Championship Final in 2014 (Cagliari, Italy) along with one other gold medal and one silver medal on the CEV Continental Tour in 2013-14.
• Clemens won gold medals at the CEV European Championships with Nikolas Berger in 2003 (Alanya, Turkey) and Peter Gartmayer in 2007 (Valencia, Spain) along with two silver medals on the CEV Continental Tour with Peter Gartmayer and Matthias Mellitzer from 2006-10.
• Alexander won the silver medal at the CEV European Championship Final with Florian Gosch in 2009 (Sochi, Russia) along with one other silver medal on the CEV Continental Tour with Florian Gosch in 2008.