Canadians back on the beach after breakup
Bansley beats Pavan to earn spot in Toronto stop of world beach volleyball tour
As a beach volleyball player during the Olympics in Rio, the sport’s Mecca, Canadian Sam Schachter felt like a superstar.
“It was totally a special moment for us, to be embraced by the city and the country as well as we were,” the Richmond Hill native said. “I felt so well received there.”
It’s not a feeling beach volleyball athletes are always used to at home. But with the beauty and atmosphere at Copacabana beach providing some of the most memorable scenes from this summer’s Games, those who represented Canada are hoping some of the popularity will translate back home, starting with this week’s FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour stop at Toronto’s Polson Pier.
The free tournament, which runs through Sunday, features a dozen of the world’s best teams in the final tour event of the season.
Schachter and partner Josh Binstock will compete on the men’s side, as will fellow Canadian Olympians Ben Saxton and Chaim Schalk.
On the women’s side, Canada is represented by Jamie Broder and Kristina Valjas, as well as Heather Bansley and Brandie Wilkerson.
Valjas, 29, is a Toronto native, but has never played in an international tournament in her hometown.
She is excited to show off the city she “loves and is so proud of” to her competitors, who she also considers friends after spending so much time together on tour.
“The No. 1 question I get from my family and friends is, ‘Where can I watch you, why isn’t it on TV?’ Now that it’s actually here and people can watch it live, so soon after the Olympics, the stands will be full, I think,” she said.
While the growth of the sport is a collective goal for the players here, the tournament didn’t kick off without its share of controversy.
The first game of the event, held Tuesday evening, was a one-off play- off between two of Canada’s Rio contenders, former teammates Sarah Pavan and Bansley.
It was the first time the pair has found themselves on opposite sides of the court since breaking up their four-year partnership in the wake of an unsuccessful Olympics. The medal hopefuls were knocked out of contention in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Germany.
That loss was the main reason for the team’s split, though both told the tournament’s website last week that a collision between them during their round of 16 win over fellow Canadians Jamie Broder and Kristina Valjas, which injured Pavan, accelerated the split.
Pavan and Bansley both had a claim to the wild-card spot they were awarded for this week’s event; Tuesday night’s match determined which would go forward in that place.
Ultimately, it was Bansley and Wilkerson that came out on top, beating Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes in straight sets.
While a split might seem unusual to outsiders — and players admit it is unusual to break up with one event left in the season — Schachter said breakups are not uncommon in the sport.
Like a romantic relationship, there are guidelines to a beach volleyball breakup. Part ways in person. Don’t start playing with a new partner behind your existing partner’s back.
Even when handled perfectly, it’s never an easy situation to navigate, Schachter said.
But as players get older and start competing professionally, travelling the world with lots on the line — this tournament’s payout is $100,000 (U.S.), the largest in the sport — he believes everyone understands it comes down to a job, nothing personal. “It’s tough to separate it sometimes but I think we’re all pretty good at doing that.”