Empowerment Program Propels Athletes to EuroBeachVolley Glory

On the women`s side, Ukrainian champions Maryna Hladun and Tetiana Lazarenko, French runners-up Clemence Vieira and Aline Chamereau, and German bronze medalists Svenja Muller and Cinja Tillmann swept the podium. In the men`s tournament, Norway`s Anders Mol and Christian Sorum claimed gold, while the Netherlands` Alexander Brouwer and Steven van de Velde earned bronze, with Sweden`s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig taking silver.

The Impact of FIVB Volleyball Empowerment

The FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program actively supports national federations, proving its effectiveness in developing beach volleyball talent globally. Since 2022, the Ukrainian Volleyball Federation has received $670,000 for its activities, enabling continuous participation in volleyball and beach volleyball events. France`s beach volleyball department benefited from substantial coach support funding totaling $1,077,000, with their women`s duos being skillfully guided by Youssef Krou. Additionally, the Federation Francaise de Volleyball received $5,500 for essential beach volleyball equipment. The German Volleyball Federation`s beach volleyball department was granted $168,000 for coach support, with their national pairs training under the expert supervision of former European champion and two-time Olympian Christoph Dieckmann.

Women`s Tournament Highlights

In the women`s tournament, seventh-seeded Maryna Hladun and Tetiana Lazarenko from Ukraine demonstrated exceptional form, remaining undefeated throughout the competition. They secured six victories, culminating in Ukraine`s first-ever EuroBeachVolley title. In a thrilling semifinal, they staged a remarkable comeback against Spanish Olympians Daniela Alvarez and Tania Moreno, winning 2-1 (15-21, 21-16, 15-11). Their golden run continued into the final, where they once again showed resilience against fifth-seeded French Olympians Clemence Vieira and Aline Chamereau, clinching a nail-biting 2-1 (21-23, 21-18, 16-14) victory.

Vieira and Chamereau also reached the final without a single loss. Their five-match winning streak culminated in a dominant 2-0 (21-13, 21-16) sweep against the former world number one team and defending European champions Svenja Muller and Cinja Tillmann in the semifinal. This performance secured France`s second medal in the history of the women`s European Championships, echoing their first silver from 26 years prior. The eighth-seeded German duo of Muller and Tillmann, bouncing back from their semifinal defeat, secured the bronze medal with a 2-0 (21-18, 21-19) win over Alvarez and Moreno, adding a second EuroBeachVolley medal to their team`s accolades.

Men`s Tournament Highlights

FIVB support also extended significantly to the men`s teams. The Norwegian Volleyball Federation received $232,000 for coach support for their national beach volleyball teams, with Jetmund Bernsten overseeing the men`s duos. An additional $6,000 was allocated for a national team coaches development knowledge transfer program. The Netherlands Volleyball Federation (Nevobo) was funded with $217,600 in coach support for its men`s pairs, who train under the experienced guidance of Michiel van der Kuip, a 1995 European champion as a player, and his dedicated staff.

Norway`s Anders Mol and Christian Sorum secured their fifth European title, and their first in four years, demonstrating absolute dominance throughout the tournament. The world`s number one team and Olympic gold medalists at Tokyo 2020 (and Paris 2024 bronze medalists) reclaimed the continental throne with six wins in six matches in Dusseldorf, dropping only two sets along the way. One of these was in the thrilling grand finale against reigning Olympic champions and two-time European champions David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig of Sweden. In this classic all-Scandinavian clash, the top-seeded “Beachvolley Vikings” achieved a 2-1 (17-21, 21-16, 15-11) comeback victory over the second-seeded “Swedish Jump-setters”.

In the semifinals, Mol and Sorum achieved a decisive 2-0 (21-17, 21-11) win over the Netherlands` Alexander Brouwer and Steven van de Velde. Meanwhile, Ahman and Hellvig secured a tight 2-0 (27-25, 21-17) victory over another Dutch pair, 11th-seeded Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot. In an all-Dutch duel for the third place, Brouwer and Van de Velde outpaced Boermans and De Groot to snatch a hard-fought 2-1 (11-21, 26-24, 15-13) comeback win, securing their place on the podium.