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Press release
Prudel aiming for second taste of Rio
Mariusz Prudel is aiming for a second Olympic Games
Warsaw, March 30, 2016 – Poland’s leading pair Mariusz Prudel and Grzegorz Fijalek are looking forward to their return to Brazil after competing in three FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournaments there in recent weeks.
The duo played in the Rio de Janeiro Grand Slam and the Vitoria and Maceio Opens and the next time they hope to be in the South American country will be for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games.
The three tournaments, notably the Rio Grand Slam means they have been able to fine tune their preparations and know what conditions to expect should they qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
“Certainly we played well there, judging by the result,†Prudel told the Polish Volleyball Federation's website. “We were able to check the sand and it is good and very hard, which will allow us to play our best.
“I'm glad we had the opportunity to play in Brazil and become acquainted with local conditions.â€
Second Olympics
Currently Fijalek and Prudel sit seventh in the FIVB Olympic Rankings, a ranking that would earn them a place at Copacabana Beach, which would be their second Olympics after they competed at London 2012.
Fijalek and Prudel could be joined by another Polish pair at Rio 2016, former U19, U21 and U23 FIVB world champions Bartosz Losiak and Piotr Kantor, who have made great strides since fully joining the World Tour in 2014.
It was Losiak and Kantor who ended Fijalek and Prudel’s hopes of winning gold at the Rio Grand Slam when they beat them 2-0 (21-17, 23-21) in the semifinals and the young duo are now 10th in the Olympic Rankings.
The three tournaments were their first on the World Tour in 2016, with their fourth place finish in Rio their best result of the three. Only a 2-1 (19-21, 21-19, 20-18) defeat by 2013 FIVB world champions Robert Meeuwsen and Alexander Brouwer denied them the bronze medals.
“After the match you need to do the analysis, so what you have done is fresh in your mind,†Prudel added. “Once we have looked at the analysis we then have to focus on a new target, but using what we have learned from looking back on our last match.
“The errors we committed, a situation that could have been controlled better, we try to memorise and improve to ensure we are on top the next time.â€
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