Lausanne, Switzerland, November 28, 2016 - One of the new venues on the 2017 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour calendar, Ulsan, Korea will host the women’s only FIVB Daegu 1-Star Open, to be held July 20-22. It will be the first time that an FIVB international event has been held in Daegu and ninth overall FIVB event held in Korea. Previously there have been six women’s only events in Korea and one double-gender event.
The 2017 FIVB World Tour schedule lists three other women’s only events besides Ulsan, the first in Sydney, Australia (March 17-19), the second in the Principality of Monaco (June 17-18) and the third in Daegu, Korea (July 14-16), a week prior to the Ulsan event.
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Latest VideosFacebookTwitterInstagramMedia GuidesThe five-star structure instituted starting with the 2017 FIVB World Tour is one of the many steps taken by the FIVB to modernize and streamline its competitions in a golden period for beach volleyball on the heels of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and on the road to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F° said, “The aim of the new structure is to provide a platform and formation of events that increase the number of competitions in a growing number of hosting countries and create a sustainable business model while providing additional commercial flexibility and opportunities.”
All women’s-only tournaments, the previous women’s FIVB World Tour events held in Korea were four in Seoul (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010) and three in Pusan (1995, 1996, 1997). Additionally, Seoul also has hosted three women’s only satellite events (2011, 2012, 1013).
In the women’s medal count for FIVB World Tour events in Korea, Brazil and the United States have each won eight medals followed by Australia and China with two each and Japan with one.
The only men’s event in Korea was held in Pusan in 1995 where Brazil, USA and Norway each earned one medal.
Ulsan is South Korea’s seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. It is located in the southeast part of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing Gyeongju to the north.
Ulsan is the industrial powerhouse of South Korea, forming the heart of the Ulsan Industrial District, which is home to the world's largest automobile assembly plant operated by the Hyundai Motor Company, the world's largest shipyard operated by Hyundai Heavy Industries and the world's second largest oil refinery, owned by SK Energy. In 2012, Ulsan had a GDP per capita of $79,623, the highest of any region in South Korea.
Ulsan has beautiful beaches (Jinha, Ilsan) and amazing view of Daewangam Park with its lush hundred-year-old pine forest. Specially, Ganjeolgot cape tops the list as the best-known sunrise site, where the sun rises first on the Korean peninsula. A sunrise festival is held every New Year's Day.
The highlight of the 2017 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour calendar will be the 2017 FIVB World Championships, a 48-team (per gender) event to be held July 28-August 6 in Vienna, Austria.
The 2017 FIVB World Ranking system will include FIVB Beach Volleyball Major Series, 5-star, 4-star, 3-star, 2-star and 1-star events along with additional pre-approved events at the inter-continental, continental and national levels.
Implemented in 2013, the format of all the FIVB Beach Volleyball international tournaments are the same, featuring pool play followed by single elimination knockout rounds.
Country quota playoffs are also held, as needed, to determine the final teams for qualification tournaments.
The first men’s FIVB World Tour event was played February 17-22, 1987 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil while the first women’s FIVB World Tour event in Brazil was played in 1993 in Rio de Janeiro. The women’s FIVB World Tour held its first tournament in Spain in 1992.