China’s Xue Chen and Xia Xinyi Bounce Back Ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics

China’s beach volleyball duo Xue Chen and Xia Xinyi are gearing up for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris with renewed confidence after a recent victory. They will be China’s sole representatives in beach volleyball at the upcoming Games, a position they’ve earned through determination and resilience.

The pair clinched the title at the Saquarema Challenge in Brazil on March 31, just three weeks after an early exit from the Doha Elite 16 tournament in Qatar. Their disappointing performance in Doha had weighed heavily on them, but they used it as motivation to improve.

“We had some ups and downs at the beginning of this year,” Xia told China Media Group (CMG). “We failed to advance from the group stage at the first Elite competition. We were very upset at that time.”

Xue echoed her teammate’s sentiments. “We were just wondering why European players were in such great form,” she said. “Unlike them, we were still trying to build our form, so the loss made us feel that something wasn’t right.”

Determined to turn things around, Xue and Xia dedicated the following two weeks to intensive training in Rio de Janeiro. Their hard work paid off with a victory in Saquarema, providing a significant confidence boost.

“Our lesson from the loss in Doha was that we were not under enough pressure to win,” Xue explained to CMG. “We forced ourselves to go for the best with every play. We kept telling ourselves to do this like real matches. Then we won the title in Saquarema.”

Both athletes have shown promise from a young age. In 2006, Xue, then 17, became the youngest player to win a FIVB World Tour stop when she and Zhang Xi triumphed in east China’s Shanghai Municipality. Seven years later, Xia broke that record at 16, partnering with Xue to win the title in Phuket, Thailand.

Despite their early successes, Xue and Xia faced setbacks. They failed to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio and, after changing partners, both competed at the delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where their teams did not reach the quarterfinals.

Now reunited, Xue and Xia are focused on making a significant impact in Paris. “It’s our goal to stand on the podium in Paris,” Xue stated. “But I don’t want to rush it.”

“We want to play every match well and do it better and better every day,” Xia added.

With their recent victory and renewed partnership, Xue Chen and Xia Xinyi are poised to represent China with strength and determination at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

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