Two FIVB statues of USA's Kerri Walsh and Brazil's Emanuel Rego drew crowds in Potsdamer Platz, Berlin this week

The German team of Julius Brink and Jonas Reckermann were excited to have the opportunity to play against the likes of defending Olympic champions Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser from USA and world champions Alison Cerruti and Emanuel Rego from Brazil, “The players here are amongst the best in the world, and we’ll be facing many of them in a few weeks in London. An Olympic medal is what every athlete aspires to, and just to take part in the Games is a massive privilege,” said Reckermann.

The drawing of lots to determine the Olympic beach volleyball schedule will take place next week at the A1 Grand Slam presented by ERGO, part of the FIVB SWATCH World Tour in Klagenfurt, Austria, with the players anxious to know who they will be pitted against.

The profile of beach volleyball at the Olympics promises to be bigger than ever before with a number of promotions planned for Horse Guards Parade, the site of the beach volleyball arena.

The FIVB will stage a number of activities to boost awareness and enhance the spectator experience including: two five-metre-tall statues of FIVB Heroes as well as banners and free-standing ‘shards’ showcasing individual Heroes. A celebrity beach volleyball match will also be staged on August 7 at Horse Guards Parade. An FIVB House at Horse Guards Parade will welcome special invited guests who will have the opportunity to get to know the sport better and meet various FIVB Heroes. All the branding has been integrated into the official look and feel of the London 2012 Games, and FIVB Heroes will be involved in fan and media events and activities throughout the Games.

Following official nomination by the various national federations, the FIVB is proud to present the FIVB Heroes teams for the Olympics:

The FIVB Heroes beach volleyball team for the Olympics consists of:

Men - Emanuel Rego and Alison Cerruti (BRA), Linyin Xu and Penggen Wu (CHN), Pablo Herrera Allepuz and Adrián Gavira Collado (ESP), Julius Brink and Jonas Reckermann (GER), Paolo Nicolai (ITA), Reinder Nummerdor (NED), Mariusz Prudel (POL), Grant Goldschmit (RSA), Patrick Heuscher (SUI), Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers (USA)

Women - Larissa França and Juliana Felisberta da Silva, Talita Antunes and Maria Antonelli (all BRA), Xi Zhang and Chen Xu (CHN), Zara Dampney (GBR), Laura Ludwig and Sara Goller (GER), Marta Menegatti and Greta Cicolari (ITA), Natasha Rigobert (MRI), Sanne Keizer (NED), Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor, Jennifer Kessy and April Ross (all USA)

The FIVB Heroes volleyball team for the Olympics consists of:

Men - Facundo Conte (ARG), Igor Yudin (AUS), Tsvetan Sokolov (BUL), Murilo Endres (BRA), Dami Bakare (GBR), György Grozer (GER), Cristian Savani (ITA), Bartosz Kurek (POL), Maxim Mikhaylov (RUS), Sasa Starovic (SRB), Noureddine Hefaiedh (TUN), Clayton Stanley (USA)

Women - Lydia Oulmou (ALG), Sheilla Castro (BRA), Yimei Wang (CHN), Milagros Cabral de la Cruz (DOM), Lynne Beattie (GBR), Simona Gioli (ITA), Saori Kimura (JPN), Yeon-Koung Kim (KOR), Ekaterina Gamova (RUS), Jovanna Brakocevic (SRB), Neslihan Darnel (TUR), Destinee Hooker (USA).

London 2012 promises to showcase the sport like never before.

Go to fivbheroes.com to find out more about the FIVB Heroes team for the Olympics.