London 2012: Dampney and Mullin targeting Olympic top 10-finish

Women’s beach volleyball duo Zara Dampney and Shauna Mullin want to please their legions of male fans at the Olympic Games.

The bikini-clad duo have high hopes of a top-10 finish at London 2012, as they become Team GB’s first representatives in the sport since 1996.

But they acknowledge there are many who rushed to snap up tickets for the event for different reasons – namely their costumes.

Athletes have been told that the potentially poor weather means they have the choice of competing in warmer weather gear.

But Dorset’s Dampney, 26, and 27-year-old Johannesburg-born Mullin, say that whatever their outfit, they want to show how easy on the eye their sport can be.

“Obviously a lot of people come along for the bikinis but they do leave with a better understanding of the sport and how exciting it is,” admits Mullin, who has lived in Scotland since 1999.

“I think they really get captivated by what we do.”

“We are used to playing in our bikinis and I’m used to training and playing in my warm weather gear, they are both really comfortable and it doesn’t affect my game,” added Dampney.

“We are jumping around, diving and we have to perform the skills to a high level, so physically it is a really tough game and it’s really demanding.”

© Sportsbeat 2012

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