After taking the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and a stellar overall last season, Alison Cerutti and Bruno Schmidt are ready to begin their 2017 season at the Fort Lauderdale Major Series.
The first tournament of the 2017 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour calendar is set to run from February 7-12. The pair are looking forward to the start of another huge year, putting last years success behind them.
The duo took the gold medal at the Olympics, then just weeks later followed up with the same glory at the Toronto 2016 FIVB World Tour Finals.
This season, the team looks to reclaim their world title at the Vienna 2017 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships. Cerutti/Schmidt have spent the Brazilian summer recuperating, to make sure that they are ready for the 2017 season and Fort Lauderdale.
“We had a long break this year and we needed it,” said Bruno. “We had to take care of our bodies. We are entering our 30s now and each year it gets harder to restart, but it is a fun challenge at the same time.”
In the past, the pair have done well at Florida tournaments, as the squad won gold at the 2015 World Tour Finals, shortly after they topped the podium at the 2015 World Championships.
“Fort Lauderdale is a passionate city. It is my favorite place in Florida and I loved playing there,” said Bruno. “We also have a lot of supporters, as many Brazilians live in the south of Florida.”
After having such a successful 2016 season, the team now have a target on their back for the upcoming season.
“We know that after an Olympic cycle it is usual that many teams change their formations around the world as it happened now,” said Bruno. “We have to be ready for it.”
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