The SWATCH-FIVB World Tour returns to Mallorca for the first-time since July 2004 when the stop on the Mediterranean island was the final qualifying event for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games for both men and women. The 2008 event will feature men's play only and will be held at the “Plaza de toros”, the legendary bullfight arena built in 1929. Promoter Frank Lichte obtained permission to hold the SWATCH-FIVB World Tour stop prior to the Mallorca Western Festival (September 18-21) at the “Plaza de toros”.

The brothers Laciga (Martin and Paul) won two of the four previous men's events (2002 and 2004), including the only All-Switzerland gold medal match in SWATCH-FIVB World Tour history. Brazilians captured the gold medals in 2001 (Tande Ramos/Emanuel Rego) and 2003 (Marcio Araujo/Benjamin Insfran). The inaugural Mallorca event was held despite 911 as five players from the United States had to withdraw from the event due to airport closures. Brazilian Jose Loiola, who lived in Southern California, also had to withdraw with partner Ricardo Santos after the pair had finished second a month earlier in the SWATCH-FIVB World Championships in Klagenfurt, Austria.

Mallorca is the largest island of Spain and is part of the Balearic Islands archipelago. Like the other Balearic Islands, the island is a popular tourist destination. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. Palma is a cultural city with its buildings and monuments portraying the evolution of aesthetic trends during the centuries where more than 700 streets in its historic centre.

PAST MALLORCA MEN’S PODIUM PLACEMENTS
Medals - Brazil 6, Switzerland 3, Argentina 2, Germany 1

Site	Year	Gold Medal	Silver Medal	Bronze Medal
1. Mallorca	2001	Tande Ramos/Emanuel Rego, BRA	Mariano Baracetti/Martin Conde, ARG	Roberto Lopes/Franco Neto, BRA
2. Mallorca	2002	Martin Laciga/Paul Laciga, SUI	Marcio Araujo/Benjamin Insfran, BRA	Emanuel/Ricardo Sanos, BRA
3. Mallorca	2003	Marcio Araujo/Benjamin, BRA	Markus Dieckmann/Jonas Reckermann, GER	Baracetti/Conde, ARG
4. Mallorca	2004	M. Laciga/P. Laciga, SUI	Markus Egger/Sascha Heyer, SUI	Fabio Magalhaes/Paulo Emilio Silva, BRA

PAST SPANISH MEN’S PODIUM PLACEMENTS
Medals - Brazil 27, Switzerland 6, Argentina 4, USA 3, Canada 2, Cuba 1, France 1, Germany 1, Norway 1, Russia 1, Spain 1

Site	Year	Gold Medal	Silver Medal	Bronze Medal
1. Almeria	1991	J-Philippe Jodard/Christian Penigaud, FRA	Marlos Cogo/Marco Tullio, BRA	Andre Lima/Guilherme Marques, BRA
2. Almeria	1992	Sinjin Smith/Randy Stoklos, USA	Eduardo Garrido/Roberto Moreira, BRA	Andre Lima/Guilherme, BRA
3. Marbella	1995	Roberto Lopes/Franco Neto, BRA	Andre Gomes/Carlos Loss, BRA	Ze Marco de Melo/Emanuel Rego, BRA
4. Tenerife	1995	Ze Marco/Emanuel, BRA	Javier Bosma/Sixto Jimenez, ESP	Roberto Lopes/Franco, BRA
5. Marbella	1996	Ze Marco/Emanuel, BRA	Roberto Lops/Franco, BRA	Martin Conde/Eduardo Martinez, ARG
6. Tenerife	1996	Ze Marco/Emanuel, BRA	John Child/Mark Heese, CAN	Francisco Alvarez/Juan Rossell, CUB
7. Tenerife	1997	Jan Kvalheim/Bjorn Maaseide, NOR	Conde/Martinez, ARG	Ze Marco/Emanuel, BRA
8. Tenerife	1998	Jose Loiola/Emanuel, BRA	Karch Kiraly/Mike Whitmarsh, USA	Bill Boullianne/Ian Clark, USA
9. Tenerife	1999	Ze Marco/Ricardo Santos, BRA	Guilherme Marques/Para Ferreira, BRA	Giovane Gavio/Tande Ramos, BRA
10. Tenerife	2000	Martin Laciga/Paul Laciga, SUI	Marcio Araujo/Benjamin Insfran, BRA	Sergey Ermishin/Mikhail Kouchnerev, RUS
11. Tenerife	2001	Tande/Emanuel, BRA	M. Laciga/P. Laciga, SUI	Mariano Baracetti/Conde, ARG
12. Mallorca	2001	Tande/Emanuel, BRA	Baracetti/Conde, BRA	Roberto Lopes/Franco, BRA
13. Cadiz	2002	M. Laciga/P. Laciga, SUI	Jody Holden/Conrad Leinemann, CAN	Tande/Emamuel, BRA
14. Mallorca	2002	M. Laciga/P. Laciga, SUI	Marcio Araujo/Benjamin, BRA	Emanuel/Ricardo, BRA
15. Mallorca	2003	Marcio Araujo/Benjamin, BRA	Markus Dieckmann/Jonas Reckermann, GER	Baracetti/Conde, ARG
16. Mallorca	2004	M. Laciga/P. Laciga, SUI	Markus Egger/Sascha Heyer, SUI	Fabio Magalhaes/Paulo Emilio Silva, BRA