OLYMPIC hopefuls Mariafe Artacho Del Solar and Nikki Laird enjoyed the perfect start to their Rio campaign at the Australian Beach Volleyball Championships.

The pair were flawless in the Gold Coast tournament and didn’t drop a set, including yesterday’s final, which they won 21-14, 21-16 over international team Michaela Vorlova (Czech Republic) and Lucia Michalovicova (Slovakia).