Olympics a Goal as AVP Tour Begins

The Assn. of Volleyball Professionals’ tour begins today at Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the first of 12 stops around the United States from now to October. And perhaps more to the point, it is the first event in the buildup to the Athens Olympics in August.

Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes won the gold medal during beach volleyball’s debut at the 1996 Atlanta Games, and Dain Blanton and Eric Fonoimoana won four years later at Sydney, marking a sweep of sorts for U.S. men.

It has been a different story for the women, however -- one Misty May and Kerri Walsh hope to change in August. If last season was any indication, May and Walsh figure to be the ones best able to give the U.S. its first gold medal in the women’s competition.

“Our goal is Athens,” May told The Times in September.

May and Walsh were the AVP’s top-ranked women’s team in 2003, with a 39-0 record, and they won all eight AVP tournaments in which they competed, among them the 2003 Fort Lauderdale Open. They are back to defend their title this weekend.

Competition is expected from the teams of Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs, who were ranked second last season, and the third-ranked team of Jenny Johnson Jordan and Annett Davis.

The semifinals and finals will take place Sunday.

Blanton, Fonoimoana, Kiraly and Dax Holdren are among the top men’s players scheduled to compete. Kiraly, 43, is still regarded as one of the beach game’s top players, boasting a resume that includes gold medals in indoor volleyball in 1984 at Los Angeles and 1988 at Seoul.

After stops later this month at Tempe, Ariz., and Austin, Texas, the tour returns to its roots, with events May 28-30 at Huntington Beach, June 4-6 at Manhattan Beach and June 11-13 at San Diego. It concludes with the Los Angeles Invitational on Oct. 15-17 at the Home Depot Center.