Rio de Janeiro, August 11, 2016 - Poland's Grzegorz Fijalek/Mariusz Prudel and Esteban Grimalt/Marco Grimalt of Chile both looking for their first win in pool E on day six. The loser of the match will be going home with a 19th-place finish. The winner will finish 3rd in the pool and, depending on the tie-breaker, will either advance to the elimination stage or play in the "lucky loser" round for a second chance to advance.
Head to Head
Fijalek/Prudel have won both meetings between the teams on the FIVB World Tour, but they have not played each other since September, 2014.
• Fijalek/Prudel won 21-15 and 21-14 in 33 minutes, São Paulo Grand Slam, Round of 24, 09/26/2014
• Fijalek/Prudel won 21-18 and 21-15 in 39 minutes, FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, Pool Play, 07/03/2013
Historically the #17 seed has won three of the four matches against the #20 seed in the Olympic Games.
• Martins Plavins/Janis Smedins (17), Latvia def. Igor Hernandez/Jesus Villafane (20), Venezuela, 21-14, 21-16 in 38 minutes, Pool Play, London (2012).
• Martin Laciga/Jan Schnider (20), Switzerland def. Jorre Kjemperud/Tarjei Skarlund (17), Norway, 21-17, 21-13 in 42 minutes, Pool Play, Beijing (2008).
• Julien Prosser/Mark Williams (17), Australia def. John Child/Mark Heese (20), Canada, 21-13, 15-21, 15-12 in 55 minutes, Pool Play, Athens (2004).
• Nikolas Berger/Oliver Stamm (17), Austria def. Maurizio Pimponi/Andrea Raffaelli (20), Italy, 15-9 in 41 minutes, Contender's Bracket Round 2, Sydney (2000).
Grzegorz Fijalek/Mariusz Prudel, Poland, Seed #17, Pool E, 0-2, 0.250 Set Ratio, 0.7629 Point Ratio, Qualified 14th with 4,920 Points in the 2015-16 Olympic qualification period
• Grzegorz: May 11, 1987 (29y2m26d), 186 cm (6'1"), 81 kg (180 lbs.), Hometown Wadowice, 84th FIVB World Tour event, one gold medal, $458,650 career winnings (ranks 40th)
• Mariusz: January 21, 1986 (30y6m16d), 191 cm (6'3"), 83 kg (184 lbs.), Hometown Rybnik, 90th FIVB World Tour event, one gold medal, $462,525 career winnings (ranks 39th)
• Grzegorz and Mariusz have been playing together since 2008. They are playing in their 84th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together (ranks 15th), one gold medal, $917,300 career winnings (ranks 6th). They have played more FIVB World Tour events together than any other men's team participating in the Rio Olympics.
• Grzegorz has played in 16 FIVB World Tour final fours with one gold, four silver, five bronze medals and six 4th place finishes.
• Mariusz has played in 16 FIVB World Tour final fours with one gold, four silver, five bronze medals and six 4th place finishes.
• Grzegorz and Mariusz have played in three Final Fours in 2015-2016 (Bronze Stavanger Major 2015, 4th Rio de Janeiro Grand Slam 2016, Bronze Antalya Open 2016).
• Grzegorz and Mariusz finished 5th in the Olympic Games in 2012 (London).
• Grzegorz and Mariusz finished 5th in the FIVB World Championships in 2011 (Rome), 17th in 2013 (Stare Jablonki) and 17th in 2015 (The Hague).
• Grzegorz and Mariusz are currently ranked 11th in FIVB World Tour points in 2016 with 4,080 points and 13th in winnings with $102,750.
• Grzegorz and Mariusz have a career 260-163 (61.5%) match record in FIVB World Tour Events and a 64-42 (60.4%) record in 2015-16.
• Grzegorz and Mariusz won bronze medals at the European (CEV) Continental Championships in 2013 (Klagenfurt, Austria) and 2016 (Biel, Switzerland).
• Grzegorz won the bronze medal at the U19 World Championships with Michal Matyja in 2005 (Saint Quay Portrieux, France).
• Mariusz was named the FIVB World Tour Most Improved Player in 2011.
• Lost to Viacheslav Krasilnikov/Konstantin Semenov, Russia (8), 14-21 and 13-21 in 36 minutes.
• Lost to Reinder Nummerdor/Christiaan Varenhorst, Netherlands (5), 17-21, 21-19, and 9-15 in 47 minutes.
Esteban Grimalt/Marco Grimalt, Chile, Seed #20, Pool E, 0-2, 0.000 Set Ratio, 0.7143 Point Ratio, Qualified through South American Confederation (CSV) Continental Cup
• Esteban: January 9, 1991 (25y6m28d), 190 cm (6'3"), 88 kg (195 lbs.), Hometown Santiago de Chile, 40th FIVB World Tour event, $77,137 career winnings
• Marco: July 11, 1989 (27y0m26d), 195 cm (6'5"), 90 kg (200 lbs.), Hometown Queilen, Chiloe, 40th FIVB World Tour event, $77,137 career winnings
• Esteban and Marco have been playing together since 2011. They are playing in their 40th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together (ranks 84th), $154,275 career winnings.
• Esteban has played in four FIVB World Tour final fours with two silver medals and two 4th place finishes.
• Marco has played in four FIVB World Tour final fours with two silver medals and two 4th place finishes.
• Esteban and Marco have played in two Final Fours in 2015-2016 (4th Antalya Open 2015-16, 4th Fortaleza Open 2016).
• Esteban and Marco finished 33rd in the FIVB World Championships in 2013 (Stare Jablonki) and 17th in 2015 (The Hague).
• Esteban and Marco are currently ranked 27th in FIVB World Tour points in 2016 with 2,460 points and 32nd in winnings with $30,400.
• Esteban and Marco have a career 81-79 (50.6%) match record in FIVB World Tour Events and a 36-47 (43.4%) record in 2015-16.
• Esteban and Marco won the CSV Continental Championship in 2015 (Venezuela).
• Esteban and Marco have won seven gold, six bronze, and three bronze medals on the CSV Continental Tour from 2013-2016.
• Esteban and Marco are cousins, and their uncle Rodrigo "Yoyo" Grimalt played on the FIVB World Tour from 1987-1998.
• Esteban and Marco are the first team from Chile to compete in the Olympic Games for beach volleyball.
• Lost to Reinder Nummerdor/Christiaan Varenhorst, Netherlands (5), 16-21 and 13-21 in 39 minutes.
• Lost to Viacheslav Krasilnikov/Konstantin Semenov, Russia (8), 17-21 and 14-21 in 35 minutes.