Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 15, 2016 – Two-time Olympic volleyball gold medallist Giovane Gávio and fellow beach volleyball gold medallist Sandra Pires gave two fans a welcome surprise on Friday as they hand delivered a pair of Rio 2016 Olympic Games tickets.
Distribution of all Rio 2016 tickets has now started, and although volleyball fans Fernando Souza Rodrigues and Flávia d’Albergaria Freitas were expecting a visit from the Rio 2016 team to record a video to mark the moment they received theirs, they were not expecting for them to be flanked by two of the sport’s biggest icons.
Giovane Gávio, who won volleyball gold at the Barcelona 1992 and Athens 2004 Games, and Sandra Pires, who was the first women's beach volleyball Olympic champion alongside Jacqueline Silva at Atlanta 1996, arrived on their doorstep with postman Uanderson da Silva Leão.
“It’s an honour to deliver the first Olympic tickets,” Pires told the official Rio 2016 website. “I’ve bought tickets as well and I can’t wait for them to arrive. I want to watch everything and I’ve encouraged my friends and family not to travel so they don’t miss this unique opportunity to see the Games at home.”
Freitas has been following volleyball since the 1980s and still has, to this day, a shirt signed by Gávio.
“I used to go to the Maracanãzinho to watch games and afterwards I'd wait for them to come out in the car park,” she said. “Before winning medals in 1992 they weren’t very well known, and there was one time I sat on the curb and had a nice chat with Carlão (Antônio Gouveia). I bought tickets for all of the men’s quarterfinal matches.”
Rodrigues bought tickets for the final of the women’s beach volleyball competition.
“I started to buy tickets during the draws and I haven’t stopped since,” he said. “I’m really getting involved (in the Games), I’m even a volunteer participant in the opening ceremony.”
Gávio, who was selected as the first Brazilian to run in Rio 2016 Olympic Torch Relay and is the Rio 2016 organising committee volleyball competition manager, said he was touched to see how important sport is in people’s lives.
“There are still great tickets on sale, like basketball, football, volleyball, beach volleyball, gymnastics, swimming... loads of stuff. Make sure you don`t miss out.”