Press Release

SANTA PONSA, MALLORCA, July 9, 2004 - Four different countries will compete for the US$27,000 first-place prize in the women's Mallorca Open after winning two matches each here Friday in the eighth and final qualifying event of the 2004 season for the Athens Olympic Games.

Kerri Pottharst and Summer Lochowicz, who defeated teams from Germany and Brazil Friday, will play second-seeded Susanne Lahme and Danja Musch of Germany in Saturday's first semi-finals. The Germans advanced to the semi-finals by eliminating Clarke and Gerlic 21-15 and 21-17 Friday afternoon. The "final four" appearance is the second-straight for Lahme and Musch, who placed fourth in Berlin two weeks ago before missing last week's stop in Norway.

Eva Celbova and Sona Novakova of Czech Republic play top-seeded Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larisaa Franca of Brazil in the second semi-final Saturday. The 11th-seeded Czechs, who advanced to the finals with a 21-16 and 21-14 over Lahme and Musch, earned their seventh SWATCH-FIVB World Tour "final four" spot and the first since the end of the 2003 season in Bali.

The Brazilians rebounded from a 21-15, 11-21 and 15-11 setback to Pottharst and Lochowicz to score a 28-30, 22-20 and 15-13 win in 66 minutes over 17th-seeded Lucilla Perrotta and Daniela Gattelli of Italy. Playing together for the first-time this season, Felisberta Silva and Larissa will be competing in their second "final four" in 2004.

When a mixed gender event scheduled for this week in Canada was cancelled, the FIVB worked with the event promoter (Event Consulting International) to change the US$360,000 Mallorca Open from a men's stop in September after the Olympics to the final qualifying event for the 2004 Athens Games.