Maipu, Chile, April 28, 2012 – Chile will take on Venezuela in the final of the CSV Men’s Beach Volleyball Continental Cup after the hosts beat Uruguay 3-2 in the “semifinal” playoff for the finals in Maipu, Chile on Saturday.

The golden set victory means Chile will play Venezuela on June 2 to 3 for the right to play in the 2012 Olympic Games, with each of the five Continental Cup winners earning themselves a place at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Under intermittent rain on Friday, the score was locked at 1-1 after the number one pairs from each country won their respective matches. Uruguay’s Guillermo Williman and Nicolás Zanotta were too strong for Chile’s second team, Guillermo Jimenez and Cristobal Martinez 2-0 (21-10, 21-14) before South America champions Esteban and Marco Grimalt from Chile found the going tougher against regular foes Uruguay’s Maximiliano Santiago and Renzo Cairus 2-1 (21-18, 18-21, 15-8).

Both top teams were coming were coming off the Brasilia Open where they both lost to Austria’s Alexander Huber and Robin Seidl in qualifying.

On Saturday, the match between the top two teams saw the Grimalt cousins earn a thrilling 2-1 (15-21, 21-18, 15-12) win over Williman-Zanotta to give Chile a 2-1 lead before Santiago-Cairus beat Guillermo-Martinez 2-0 (21-19, 25-23) to tie the fixture up at 2-2.

Down to a golden set, and Grimalt-M. Grimalt held their nerve in front of a 1,000 strong crowd to win 1-0 (15-8) and send Chile through to the final amongst joyous scenes. For Uruguay, they will have a second chance of qualifying for the Olympics with their third place having confirmed a spot at the FIVB World Cup Olympic Qualification tournament in Tortoli, Italy from July 27 to June 1.

"The pressure played against us and also my anxiety,” Marco Grimalt said. “We reacted at the right moment and finished winning the series. We have ahead us the last step, the most difficult one but we go to face Venezuela at the Continental Cup with all our Olympic dreams still alive.”

CSV Men’s Continental Cup Semifinal Results
1  27/04/2012   Guillermo-Martinez CHI  Williman-Zanotta URU  0-2 (10-21, 14-21) 
2  27/04/2012   Grimalt-M. Grimalt CHI  Santiago-Cairus URU  2-1 (21-18, 18-21, 15-8)
3  28/04/2012   Guillermo-Martinez CHI  Santiago-Cairus URU  0-2 (19-21, 23-25)
4  28/04/2012   Grimalt-M. Grimalt CHI  Williman-Zanotta URU  2-1 (15-21, 21-18, 15-12)
5  28/04/2012   Grimalt-M. Grimalt CHI  Williman-Zanotta URU  1-0 (15-8) 

To date only one country has qualified for the Olympic Games via the Continental Cup with the men’s team from South Africa topping the CAVB edition on April 15.

One country from each of the five FIVB confederations will qualify for the London 2012 Olympic Games through the Continental Cup finals while the second and third placed countries will go to the FIVB World Cup Olympic Qualification tournament to playoff for two more Olympic vacancies.

The final determination of teams that will represent each country will be confirmed by the National Olympic Committee and national federation of each qualifying country and announced by July 9.  The drawing of lots for pool assignments at the Olympic Games will take place on July 19 during the A1 Grand Slam in Klagenfurt, Austria.

AVC
Both the AVC Men’s and Women’s Continental Cup Final will be held in China from June 20-24. Australia, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Samoa, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Iran, Kazakhstan and Sri Lanka will compete in the men’s tournament while Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, India, Australia, Vanuatu, New Zealand, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, China, Japan, and Chinese Taipei complete the women’s line-up.

CEV
Men’s teams from Latvia, Austria, the Netherlands and Germany and women’s teams from the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Switzerland booked their place in the Final of the CEV edition which will take place in Moscow (women) and Alanya (men) from June 22-24. They will be joined by four more teams per gender who will compete in semifinal clashes in Sévres, France from May 16 to 19 and Zug and Lucern, Switzerland from May 17 to 19.

CAVB
The African Confederation has seen already one country in the men’s edition qualify for the Olympics through South Africa having won the CAVB Continental Cup Final which took place in Flic en Flac, Mauritius from April 13-15. Morocco, Algeria, Mauritius and South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Mozambique and DR Congo will compete in the CAVB Women’s Continental Cup Final in Rwanda from May 24-26.

NORCECA
NORCECA will hold their Final in Mexico from June 21-23 with Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Cuba competing on the men’s side and Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Cuba participating in the women’s contest.

CSV
The women’s edition of the CSV Continental Cup will reach its peak on June 2-3 when Uruguay take on home side Argentina in the final for a ticket to London. Third placed Venezuela will play in the World Cup Olympic Qualification tournament. Meanwhile, in the men's edition, Venezuela will play Chile on the same weekend. Third placed Uruguay will also head to the World Cup Olympic Qualification tournament.

FIVB World Cup Olympic Qualification tournament
The remaining two spots in London will be filled for men and women through the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Cup  Olympic Qualification tournament, with the second and third-placed countries from the five Continental Cup finals competing. This will be held in Tortoli, Italy from June 27 to July 1.