Teams receiving crucial backing from the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program showcased exceptional talent at last week`s CEV U20 Beach Volleyball European Championships held in Madrid. Denmark`s Andreas Sejer Kofod Brinck and Villads Flugge Napier distinguished themselves by winning the gold medal in the men`s event. In the women`s competition, Romane Sobezalz and Saofe Duval of France earned a commendable silver after their final match against Poland`s formidable pair, Zuzanna Kudlik and Julia Radelczuk. Lia Berger and Lilli Hohenauer from Austria secured the women`s bronze, while the men`s podium was rounded out by Finland`s Veeti Viljamaa and Aleksi Hanninen with silver, and Hungary`s Bence Tari and Akos Veress with bronze.
Volleyball Denmark`s beach volleyball efforts have been significantly bolstered by USD 126,000 in FIVB Volleyball Empowerment coach support for its national teams, who train under the expert guidance of German instructor Tobias Rex. An additional USD 6,000 was allocated for specialized beach volleyball equipment. The Danish pair of Brinck & Napier demonstrated remarkable dominance throughout the U20 European Championship, achieving an undefeated 7-0 run and conceding only two sets. Their semifinal saw them secure a decisive 2-0 (21-14, 24-22) victory over Italy’s Andrea Sanguanini & Matteo Marchesan. In the thrilling gold medal showdown, they claimed a hard-fought 2-1 (21-18, 21-23, 15-11) win against Finland’s Viljamaa & Hanninen. This triumph marks their second continental title, building on their U18 European Championship victory two years prior, also held in Madrid. Furthermore, Brinck boasts a U18 continental silver medal from the previous year with a different partner, highlighting his consistent performance.
Finland`s Viljamaa & Hanninen displayed a strong campaign in Madrid, suffering only two defeats in their eight matches. Both losses were at the hands of Brinck & Napier – notably, their opening and final matches. Their impressive six-match winning streak culminated in a dominant 2-0 (21-13, 21-15) semifinal sweep against Hungary’s Tari & Veress, which secured their well-deserved spot on the podium.
Following their semifinal defeat, Tari & Veress from Hungary showed great resilience to clinch the bronze medal. They mounted an impressive 2-1 (16-21, 21-18, 15-11) comeback victory against the Italian duo. This achievement marks their second age-group continental bronze, having previously secured third place at the U18 event two years ago in Madrid.
Men’s Results and Standings
The French beach volleyball department has received substantial coach support funding from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment, totaling an impressive USD 1,077,000 to date. Their promising youth national duos train under the guidance of Isabelle Kadjo. France’s Sobezalz & Duval, who previously secured a U18 bronze medal two years ago in Madrid, elevated their performance this year to claim a U20 silver. They progressed to the final without dropping a single set across their six matches, including a 2-0 (21-18, 22-20) victory over Austria’s Berger & Hohenauer in the semifinal.
Poland’s Kudlik & Radelczuk also maintained an unblemished record throughout the tournament, winning all seven of their matches without losing a set. This impressive run culminated in a hard-fought 2-0 (25-23, 21-16) victory in the final against Sobezalz & Duval. Prior to the final, the Polish duo showcased their dominance with a decisive 2-0 (21-14, 21-16) sweep against Latvia’s Liva Ebere & Renate Kruklite in their semifinal match.
Austria`s Berger & Hohenauer, who had already amassed four medals from various age-category European Championships, including last year`s U18 title, added a fifth to their collection. They secured the bronze medal with a convincing 2-0 (21-19, 21-8) victory over Ebere & Kruklite in the third-place play-off match.
Women’s Results and Standings
The CEV U20 Beach Volleyball European Championships attracted a diverse field of talent, with 32 women’s and 32 men’s teams participating, representing 32 different national federations.
Jasper Thornfield 
Finley Blackwood