The recent Joao Pessoa Elite Beach Pro Tour saw Remi Bassereau & Calvin Aye of France and Stefan Boermans & Yorick de Groot of the Netherlands secure silver and bronze medals, respectively. Both European teams benefited significantly from the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program. In the men`s competition, local heroes Evandro Oliveira & Arthur Mariano Lanci of Brazil clinched the gold. The women`s podium featured an American dominance with Kelly Cheng & Molly Shaw taking gold and their compatriots Terese Cannon & Megan Kraft earning silver, while Brazil`s Ana Patricia Ramos & Eduarda Santos Lisboa (Duda) secured the bronze.
Impact of FIVB Empowerment
The success of these European teams highlights the crucial role of FIVB Volleyball Empowerment funding. The French beach volleyball program has received substantial coach support, totaling USD 1,077,000, enabling Brazilian coach Calvis Lopes to train their men’s national teams effectively. Additionally, the Federation Française de Volleyball obtained USD 5,500 for essential beach volleyball equipment. Similarly, the Netherlands Volleyball Federation (Nevobo) has been granted USD 217,600 in coach support for its national beach volleyball teams, with Michiel van der Kuip, a 1995 European champion as a player, leading their men`s pairs.
Men`s Tournament Highlights
France`s Remi Bassereau & Calvin Aye embarked on their Joao Pessoa journey from the qualifications. Despite an initial defeat in the main draw to the reigning Olympic champions David Åhman & Jonatan Hellvig of Sweden, they mounted an impressive comeback, securing five consecutive victories. This remarkable run propelled them into the gold medal match, where they claimed their first Elite-level medal together and their second on the Tour, following a bronze at the Baden Challenge. Seeded 21st, Bassereau & Aye orchestrated several upsets, notably overcoming the eighth-seeded Dutch duo Alexander Brouwer & Steven van de Velde in a thrilling 2-1 (16-21, 21-18, 15-13) semifinal.
The second-seeded Dutch pair, Stefan Boermans & Yorick de Groot, added another bronze to their collection, marking their eleventh podium finish on the Beach Pro Tour. In an all-Dutch bronze medal showdown, they delivered a dominant 2-0 (21-16, 21-13) victory over Brouwer & Van de Velde.
Brazilian duo Evandro Oliveira & Arthur Mariano Lanci, seeded sixth, captivated their home crowd in Joao Pessoa, securing the gold medal. This triumph marks their fourth gold and seventh overall medal on the Tour, with all their gold medals achieved on home soil. Like the French silver medalists, Evandro & Arthur Lanci also started with a main draw loss but then powered through with six consecutive wins. They swept Boermans & De Groot 2-0 (21-12, 21-19) in the semifinal and emerged victorious in the final with a 2-0 (21-15, 27-25) score against Bassereau & Aye.
Women`s Tournament Highlights
On the women`s side, the American team of Kelly Cheng & Molly Shaw celebrated their maiden Beach Pro Tour gold medal together. The ninth-seeded pair, featuring reigning world champion Cheng, demonstrated an unstoppable performance, going undefeated through six matches at the Joao Pessoa Elite in Brazil. They secured a 2-0 (21-18, 21-18) semifinal win against 11th-seeded Brazilians Carol Solberg & Rebecca Cavalcanti and then triumphed in the final with a 2-0 (21-16, 21-17) sweep over fellow Americans Terese Cannon & Megan Kraft.
Terese Cannon & Megan Kraft earned the silver medal, which is their sixth medal on the Tour. Their path to the final included a notable 2-1 (13-21, 21-13, 15-13) upset victory over the fourth-seeded reigning Olympic champions, Brazil`s Ana Patricia Ramos & Eduarda Santos Lisboa (Duda).
Despite the semifinal loss, Ana Patricia & Duda rallied to claim the bronze medal, marking their fourth consecutive bronze on the Beach Pro Tour. This achievement further expanded their impressive Tour collection to a total of 19 medals. In the third-place match, they comfortably defeated fellow Brazilians Carol & Rebecca with a 2-0 (21-16, 21-13) score.
The Joao Pessoa Elite tournament gathered 32 men’s teams and 32 women’s teams, representing 24 different countries, showcasing the global reach and competitive spirit of beach volleyball.
The next Elite event on the Beach Pro Tour is set to take place in Brazil once again, from September 24 to 28, in Rio de Janeiro.
Jasper Thornfield