Australian beach volleyball player, USYD student and former EAP member Izac Carracher will represent his country at the 2026 AVC Beach Continental in Shangluo, China, as Australia begins its qualifications campaign for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Running from 2-6 September, the tournament will provide beach volleyball teams from across the Asia-Pacific region with their first opportunity to secure an Olympic quota place under the newly introduced LA 2028 qualifications system.
One quota place per gender will be awarded to the nation that wins the Continental event. The remaining places will be decided through the 2027 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship, the Olympic Rankings and the Olympic qualifier series.
Australia has selected two men’s and two women’s teams for the important early qualifying event.
In the men’s competition, Carracher will reunite with fellow Paris Olympian Mark Nicolaidis as the established pair pursues the possibility of competing at a second Olympic Games. Their strongest challenge is expected to come from Qatar’s highly regarded Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan.
For Carracher, the event represents another significant milestone in an impressive international career. His selection also brings pride to the UYSD and EAP communities, which have supported him during earlier stages of his development.
With Olympic qualification beginning earlier than in previous cycles, the AVC Beach Continental is a pivotal first test for Australia on the road to Los Angeles. Victory in Shangluo would allow the winning Australian teams to secure a quota place nearly two years before the Games.
