The first places in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games beach volleyball competition – to be contested on the legendary sands of Copacabana beach – will not be known until the conclusion of the world championships in the Netherlands at the start of July (check here the FIVB Olympic qualification system). However, the world’s top players have already set off on the road to Rio.

Fifteen places will be won via the world rankings and the first FIVB World Tour Grand Slam, held in Moscow between 26 and 31 May, was worth a handsome 800 points. Spanish duo Adrian Gavira and Pablo Herrera were the men’s champions in the Russian capital, defeating Brazilian pair Evandro Gonçalves and Pedro Salgado. Brazilian duo Larissa França and Talita Antunes triumphed in the women’s compeition, beating Dutch double Madelein Meppelink and Marleen Van Iersel in the final.

However, having also had three FIVB World Tour Open events this year, the top spots in the rankings are currently held by the Netherlands’ Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen (men’s) and Germany’s Chantal Laboureur and Julia Sude (women’s).

But the road to Rio is long. In 2015, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) will stage a total of five Grand Slams, three Major Series and 10 Opens, as well as the world championships, which start on June 26. All of these events are worth ranking points.

On 13 June 2016, the 15 top-ranked men’s and women’s duos will earn places for their countries at the Rio 2016 Games. The other places will be allocated via this year’s world championships and continental competitions next year.

Click here to see the full men’s and women’s world rankings.

Rio2016.com is not an absolute authority on qualification for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which is an ongoing process. Final places will only be confirmed in July 2016 (for the Olympic Games) and August 2016 (for the Paralympic Games). The qualification systems are defined by each sport’s respective International Federation and the International Olympic Committee or International Paralympic Committee, and are subject to change. When an athlete or team wins a quota place for their nation, the final decision on whether this ‘slot’ is used and which athletes are sent is taken by the respective National Olympic Committee or National Paralympic Committee (NOC or NPC). Even when athletes win a ‘nominal’ place for themselves, NOCs/NPCs may have to decide who to send if the number of qualified athletes from one country exceeds the quota.