Sam Pedlow, right, and Grant O’Gorman are looking to claim a second Olympic ticket for Canada ©FIVB

Canada made a winning start to their Pool A campaign at the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) World Continental Cup Olympic Qualification tournament in Sochi, claiming a 2-0 victory over Venezuela as the country looks to secure a second ticket for Rio 2016.

Sam Pedlow and Grant O’Gorman beat Jesus Villafañe and Jackson Henriquez 21-10, 21-19 after compatriots Josh Binstock and Sam Schachter had overcome Nanjing 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games gold medallists Rolando "Peter" Hernandez and Jose "Tigrito" Gomez, 21-19, 21-14.

The Canadian pairs missed out on a second Olympic spot for their nation by losing last month’s NORCECA Continental Cup final to Cuba but, by finishing runners-up, they earned a second and final chance to qualify.

Chaim Schalk and Ben Saxton have already qualified through the FIVB World Tour Olympic ranking.

Another country eyeing a Rio 2016 spot is Belgium, who were equally as comfortable in defeating Mexico in Pool B. 

Dries Koekelkoren and Tom van Walle beat Juan Revuelta and Ricardo Galindo 21-13, 21-9, while Bob Douwen and Aljosa Urnaut overcame Jose Luis Rubio and Josue Gaston Gaxiola 21-17, 21-12.

There are four remaining Rio 2016 places up for grabs in all with two available in the women’s competition.

Ekaterina Birlova and Nadezda Makroguzova helped the host nation Russia claim a 2-0 victory over Mexico in Pool A, beating Diana Estrada and Zaira Orellana 21-14, 21-16.

The win was completed by Evgenia Ukolova and Anastasia Barsuk, who overcame Claudia Rios and Gloria Santoyo 21-9, 21-8.

China's Fan Wang and Yuan Yue picked up two wins at the Gstaad World Tour Major Series event ©FIVB
China's Fan Wang and Yuan Yue picked up two wins at the Gstaad World Tour Major Series event ©FIVB

At the FIVB Gstaad Major Series event, Chinese women's duo Fan Wang and Yuan Yue had the most productive day of the 17 teams bound for Rio 2016, picking up two wins out of two to lead Pool H.

The 25th seeds defeated eighth-seeded Joana Heidrich and Nadine Zumkehr of Switzerland 24-26, 21-17, 15-12 and ninth-seeded Karla Borger and Britta Buthe of Germany 21-18, 21-19.

Victory over Heidrich and Zumkehr ended a four-match losing streak, while the win against Borger and Buthe was only the Chinese pair’s second success in nine matches against the Germans.

Depending on the outcome of tomorrow’s match with 24th-seeded Vasiliki Arvaniti and Penny Karagkouni of Greece, Wang and Yue appear to be on course to win the pool and earn a first-round "bye" in the elimination stage.