VOLLEYBALL has taken a different turn at this year’s Winter Olympics in South Korea.
The sport, which is usually played on golden beaches as the sun shines, was tested out in the sub-zero conditions of Pyeongchang.
Beach volleyball has been an Olympic sport since the 1996 Summer Games, but the idea of swapping sand for snow has raised a few eyebrows.
But there is hope that one day the new version of the sport will be included in the Winter Olympics.
In a bid to boost its profile, a huge outdoor exhibition of snow volleyball was used as a key attraction in Pyeongchang.
The match included three former Olympic gold medallists and the Prince Albert of Monaco even arrived to watch the action.
He then marched onto the court, before providing the perfect serve to kick start the action.
The competitors were forced to wrap up warm to protect themselves from the freezing temperatures.
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As well as wearing thermals, they dug out their woolly hats and gloves for the special occasion.
This change will no doubt take a while for keen volleyball players to digest…
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A common beach volleyball player would wear the bare minimum in order to keep cool in the hot climates.
But this is not an entirely new sport, as keen players prepare for the first Snow Volleyball European Championship in March.
24 men’s and 24 women’s will be competing at the event in Austria.
Gilbert Godoy, who won gold for Brazil in 2004, said: “It’s just like moving in the sand, but it’s snow.
“This is a tremendous thing we need to promote.”
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