Teams benefiting from the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program demonstrated strong performances at the recent Warmia Mazury Challenge on the Beach Pro Tour, earning a total of five medals. Pairs from Ukraine, Switzerland, France, and Germany reached the podiums.
The women`s competition saw a complete sweep by teams receiving program support: Ukraine`s Maryna Hladun & Tetiana Lazarenko took gold, Germany`s Linda Bock & Louisa Lippmann secured silver, and France`s Clemence Vieira & Aline Chamereau claimed bronze.
In the men`s tournament, Switzerland`s Marco Krattiger & Leo Dillier won the gold medal, while Germany`s Paul Henning & Lui Wust finished third. The silver medal was awarded to the home favorites from Poland, Bartosz Losiak & Michal Bryl.
The FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program has provided significant funding to support these national federations` beach volleyball activities. Since 2022, the Ukraine Volleyball Federation has received USD 670,000. Swiss Volley`s beach volleyball department has been allocated USD 366,000 for coach support, benefiting their men`s duos under coach Philip Gabathuler. The German Volleyball Federation received USD 168,000 for coach support, with national pairs training under Christoph Dieckmann. France`s beach volleyball department has received the largest coach support funding at USD 1,077,000 to date, guiding their women`s national duos led by coach Youssef Krou. Additionally, the French federation received USD 5,500 for beach volleyball equipment.
Ukraine`s Maryna Hladun & Tetiana Lazarenko, seeded 13th, had an outstanding run in the women`s main draw, winning all six of their matches. They dropped only one set throughout the tournament, in the gold medal match against Germany`s 20th-seeded Linda Bock & Louisa Lippmann, which they won 2-1 (19-21, 21-14, 15-11). This victory marked the third gold and sixth overall Beach Pro Tour medal for Hladun & Lazarenko, while it was the first tour podium for Bock & Lippmann as a team.
In the semifinals, Hladun & Lazarenko defeated 12th-seeded Julia Donlin & Lexy Denaburg of the United States 2-0 (21-14, 21-18). Bock & Lippmann achieved an upset by beating 2nd-seeded Clemence Vieira & Aline Chamereau of France 2-0 (21-12, 21-19). Vieira & Chamereau successfully bounced back in the third-place match, defeating Donlin & Denaburg 2-0 (21-18, 21-18) to claim their second consecutive bronze medal on the Tour and fifth overall.
In the men`s event in Stare Jablonki, Switzerland`s Marco Krattiger & Leo Dillier, seeded 20th, claimed their first Beach Pro Tour gold medal. This adds to their previous three medals this season (two silvers and a bronze). Krattiger & Dillier went undefeated throughout the tournament, advancing to the final via walkover after 2nd-seeded David Ahman & Jonatan Hellvig of Sweden withdrew due to injury in the semifinal. In a tightly contested final, they secured a 2-1 upset victory (25-23, 16-21, 16-14) against the top-seeded Polish pair, Bartosz Losiak & Michal Bryl.
Losiak & Bryl reached the final by defeating Germany`s Paul Henning & Lui Wust 2-0 (21-16, 21-16) in their semifinal, earning their ninth Beach Pro Tour podium finish. 11th-seeded Henning & Wust were awarded the bronze medal in the third-place match by forfeit, securing their second medal as a duo.
The Warmia Mazury Challenge attracted a significant number of participants, with 50 women`s and 54 men`s teams representing 28 different countries.
The next Challenge event on the Beach Pro Tour is scheduled to take place in Baden, Austria, from August 5 to 10. This week`s Tour schedule features the Gstaad Elite in Switzerland from July 2 to 6 and the Montpellier Futures in France from July 3 to 6.
Oliver Wrenwick 
Finley Blackwood