Partain Qualifies for Olympics

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

For any athlete, there is nothing quite like presenting your country in the Olympics.

Palisadian beach volleyball player Miles Partain is looking forward that experience next month after he and playing partner Andy Benesh officially qualified for the Summer Games in Paris, France after sweeping the Norwegian tandem of Anders Mol and Christian Sorum 21-15, 21-14 on June 9 in the bronze medal match at the FIVB World Beach Pro Tour stop in Ostava, Czech Republic.

The American pair tied for fourth in the men’s rankings to earn their Olympic spot following a grueling qualification period beginning in January 2023. Based on their eight best results, both Partain/Benesh and the Dutch duo of Stefan Boermans/Yorick de Groot accumulated 7100 points.

Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig accumulated 9340 points to earn the top ranking.

Joining Partain and Benesh on Team USA’s Olympic beach volleyball roster will be Chade Budinger and Miles Evans, who tied for 13th in the rankings.

Partain is only 22, making him the youngest US Olympian to date in his sport, and has been playing with the 29-year-old Benesh since 2022. They plan to play Elite16 events in Gstaad, Switzerland the first week of July and Vienna, Austria after that, followed by a week of training with the Olympic Italian squad, before going to Paris for Olympic competition, which will take place July 27-August 10 at Eiffel Tower Stadium.

Partain played in his first organized beach volleyball tournament at Will Rogers State Beach when he was 10, partnering with his older brother, Marcus. In 2017, at the age of 15, he and Marcus (then 17), become the youngest pair ever to advance to the main draw of an AVP event (Hermosa Beach). Miles was a setter and opposite hitter for the indoor team at Palisades High for three seasons, leading the Dolphins to three City championships and graduating a semester early as valedictorian. He went on to join his brother on the indoor team at UCLA, earning First Team All-American and All-Conference Player of the Year honors in 2022.

Partain was named AVP Rookie of the Year in 2019, AVP Best Defensive Player by Volleyballmag.com in 2021 and earned Best Offensive Player and Most Improved Player honors in 2022 when he won his first tour title in Atlanta with then partner Paul Lotman.

Partain is one of four Palisadians set to compete  in Paris, joining Nick Itkin (fencing), Johnny Hooper (water polo) and Ali Riley, captain of the New Zealand women’s soccer team. Pali High 1983 alum Steve Kerr )winner of five NBA titles as a player and four as a coach) will try to pilot the USA men’s basketball team to gold as the head coach of a squad featuring LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid and Jason Tatum.