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Everything had to go to plan for Izac Carracher and Mark Nicolaidis to scratch a 20-year Olympic itch for Australian beach volleyball.

Now that it has, the pair want to do more than make up the numbers in Paris.

The duo had their Games tickets rubber-stamped on Thursday and will join fellow debutants Zachery Schubert and Thomas Hodges to compete under the Eiffel Tower later this month.

Not since the Athens 2004 Games has Australia had two men’s entries, but it didn’t come easy.

Three times the pair were a point away from elimination at China’s Asian Continental Cup finals last month, winning both their matches on the final day to help Australia beat the hosts 2-1 and claim the title.

It afforded Australia another berth and proved an irresistible case for selection.

“We sat in an office at the start of the year and put all the cards on the table and said, ‘We’re going to throw absolutely everything at Continental Cup’,” Nicolaidis said.

“Every decision we made was for that tournament. 

“Izac and I had countless sleepless nights in the lead-up thinking of all the scenarios – both the good, but also the depressing lows.

“The first job’s done of getting there, and now we put all our preparation in to go as deep in that tournament as possible.”

Carracher, 24, and 23-year-old Nicolaidis will also join Olympic silver medallists Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar on the team.

“The fact it has taken 20 years to get two Australian men’s beach volleyball teams back at the Olympic Games shows just how incredibly tough it is to qualify,” Volleyball Australia boss Andrew Dee said.

“In those final matches to earn qualification, Mark and Izac were a point away from being eliminated three times, and each time they came back to win. 

“That kind of fight is typically Australian and it’s the kind of performance we can expect from them in Paris.”

Modern pentathlete Gen Janse van Rensburg will join them in France, crediting a school visit from 2016 Olympic champion Chloe Esposito for her decision to take up the multi-sport event a year later.

“I remember listening to her talk about her experiences in the sport and thinking I want to do that. I already did three of the sports (swimming, riding, running), I started fencing in 2017 and then took up shooting in 2018,” she said.

The 20-year-old from Newcastle is also studying psychology at university.

“It has been a labour of love and a huge commitment from many to support me over the last seven years,” she said. 

“I have had so much unwavering support and commitment from my family to pursue this left of centre sport, which has taken me all over the world.”

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