At the recent CEV U20 Beach Volleyball European Championships held in Madrid, teams benefiting from the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment initiative achieved significant success, securing both a gold and a silver medal. The Danish pair of Andreas Sejer Kofod Brinck and Villads Flugge Napier triumphed in the men`s competition, claiming the top spot on the podium. In the women’s event, Romane Sobezalz and Saofe Duval of France earned silver, finishing as runners-up after a close final match against Poland’s Zuzanna Kudlik and Julia Radelczuk. Austrian duo Lia Berger and Lilli Hohenauer secured the bronze medal in the women`s category, while Veeti Viljamaa and Aleksi Hanninen of Finland, along with Bence Tari and Akos Veress of Hungary, completed the men`s podium with silver and bronze respectively.
Volleyball Denmark’s beach volleyball program has received substantial backing from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment, including USD 126,000 in coaching support for their national pairs, guided by German instructor Tobias Rex, plus an additional USD 6,000 for equipment. Brinck and Napier demonstrated exceptional form throughout the U20 European Championship, achieving a flawless 7-0 record and dropping only two sets across the entire tournament. Their semifinal match saw them defeat Italy’s Andrea Sanguanini and Matteo Marchesan 2-0 (21-14, 24-22). In the thrilling gold medal encounter, they secured a 2-1 victory (21-18, 21-23, 15-11) against Finland’s Viljamaa and Hanninen. This win marks the Danish pair’s second continental title, following their U18 European Championship triumph two years prior, also held in Madrid. Furthermore, Brinck previously earned a U18 continental silver medal with a different partner.
Viljamaa and Hanninen`s journey in Madrid saw them lose only two of their eight matches, both times to Brinck and Napier (their opening and final games). Their impressive six-match winning streak included a dominant 2-0 (21-13, 21-15) semifinal sweep against Hungary’s Tari and Veress, which guaranteed their place on the podium.
Tari and Veress fought back to claim the bronze medal with a 2-1 (16-21, 21-18, 15-11) comeback win against the Italian duo. This achievement marks their second bronze in age-group continental competitions, having also placed third at the U18 event two years ago in Madrid.
Men’s Competition Highlights
The French beach volleyball division has been significantly supported by FIVB Volleyball Empowerment, receiving a total of USD 1,077,000 in coaching funds. Their youth national teams are mentored by Isabelle Kadjo. France’s Sobezalz and Duval, who previously won U18 bronze two years ago in Madrid, improved their performance this year to clinch the U20 silver. They advanced to the final without dropping a single set, culminating their six-match winning streak with a 2-0 (21-18, 22-20) victory over Austria’s Berger and Hohenauer.
Poland’s Kudlik and Radelczuk also maintained a perfect record, not losing a single set across their seven matches, including their hard-fought 2-0 (25-23, 21-16) final victory against Sobezalz and Duval. Prior to the final, the Polish team decisively won their semifinal game against Latvia’s Liva Ebere and Renate Kruklite with a 2-0 (21-14, 21-16) sweep.
Berger and Hohenauer, who already possessed four medals from various age-category European Championships, including the U18 title last year, added a fifth by securing a 2-0 (21-19, 21-8) victory over Ebere and Kruklite in the bronze medal match.
Women’s Competition Highlights
The CEV U20 Beach Volleyball European Championships saw participation from 32 women’s and 32 men’s teams, representing 32 different national federations.
Oliver Wrenwick 
Finley Blackwood