Britain's team of Audrey Cooper and Amanda Glover will have the odds stacked against them when they launch their Olympic programme against Australia at Atlanta Beach today.
While the pair struggle to fit in their training around their jobs, the likes of Brazil and the United States are professionals, earning up to $100,000 (pounds 66,000) a year.
"Anything around sixth would be a tremendous achievement considering they are amateurs and everyone else does it full-time," Vince Joyce, their coach, said.
"We've had the publicity, now we need the girls to perform as best they can," he said. "The interest is there with them qualifying for the Olympics, now we need to double and treble it. Everybody knows that beach volleyball is not just a recreation - you can get something out of it."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments