A trip to Paris would be the ultimate revenge after getting dumped for Theo Brunner and Trevor Crabb.

Both are veteran beach volleyball players and both got dumped last year by their prior partners.

The timing couldn't have been worse.

Crabb says it often takes three to four years of playing with a partner to create the kind of chemistry it takes to qualify for the Olympics.

"We're one of the older teams on tour. I'm 34 he's 38 . We've been through the partner changes and stuff before," says Crabb.

That experience let them get to work while getting to know each other.

"As an elder statesman in the sport, I've seen good teams win tournaments who hate each other's guts and don't talk and teams that love each other that can't get it done. All that matters is scoring points," says Brunner.

The Paris Olympics will feature 24 teams, of each gender, playing under the Eifel Tower.

Team USA has already qualified two women's teams. Countries can qualify a maximum of two pairings per gender and so far no U.S. men's teams have met the qualification. The main qualification period ends on June 10.

• Why Trevor wasn't an obvious partner choice for Theo