The beach volleyball duo of Hugo Campos and João Pedrosa can finally breathe easy. They have officially secured their spot in the upcoming World Championship. This was their biggest goal for the entire season. Now, their sights are already set on a much bigger prize: the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Hugo Campos spoke to the Lusa news agency about their achievement. He called qualifying for the World Championship in Adelaide, Australia, “perhaps the main goal” for this season. The tournament runs from November 14 to 23. He stressed that they had planned this from the start. “We had defined qualifying as our objective,” Campos explained. “At the start of the season, we set several goals. This was one of the most important ones: to qualify and play in this World Championship.”
This trip to Australia marks the second time the Portuguese pair will compete in a World Championship. Their first appearance was in 2023 in Tlaxcala, Mexico. There, they finished 33rd. However, that invitation came via a ‘wild card’ entry. This time, they earned their place outright. Campos admitted they didn’t discuss any minimum objectives for the tournament itself. “We were just hoping to qualify,” he said. He described the qualification process as a “very tight race.” They needed strong results themselves. They also had to depend on how other teams performed. “So our main goal was truly to qualify,” he confirmed.
Campos and Pedrosa recently returned from Mexico. They competed there last weekend. Now, they plan to resume training and meet to plan their World Championship strategy. They expect not to play any more competitions before heading to Australia. “I think we will stay in Portugal,” Campos noted. “We just spent three weeks away, which was quite tiring. We played three tournaments in a row on the other side of the world, so we are still recovering a bit.” Their plan is to travel to Australia a little earlier. This will allow them to train with other teams also preparing for the event. “But I don’t think we will do any competition before Australia,” he added.
Challenges on the Sand and Beyond
Adelaide’s time zone will present a significant challenge. It is 10 and a half hours ahead of Lisbon. This means the duo will face a tough adjustment. They are used to playing in “all possible conditions,” Campos said. But the time difference, combined with the tournament’s high level, adds pressure. They narrowly missed qualifying for Paris 2024. They lost in the semi-finals of the Nations Cup, which would have granted them a spot. That close call has sharpened their focus. Campos and Pedrosa are now meticulously planning for Los Angeles 2028.
“I believe that in that Olympic cycle, our vision wasn’t as clear,” Campos reflected. “That goal wasn’t as defined.” However, things are different now. “We started this LA cycle with that long-term goal, that bigger objective, firmly in mind,” he stated. “And we are working towards it.”