The 2025 U22 European Beach Volleyball Championship, held in Baden, concluded on Sunday with a truly historic outcome: for the very first time, nations secured gold medals in both the men`s and women`s categories. This landmark event further highlighted the promising future of beach volleyball across the European continent.
The triumph of Ukrainian duo Daria Romaniuk and Yeva Serdiuk in the women`s event, coupled with the victory of French pair Téo Rotar and Arthur Canet in the men`s competition, were not merely historic firsts for their respective countries in this championship. They also underscored the growing influence and talent emerging from Ukraine and France within the continental and international beach volleyball landscape.
In the women`s tournament, Ukraine continued its impressive run of form on the continental stage, securing its second European title within a fortnight. This recent success follows the gold medal won by Maryna Hladun and Tetiana Lazarenko at the senior EuroBeachVolley earlier in the month.
In Baden, the 21-year-old Ukrainian pair, Romaniuk and Serdiuk, wrote a new chapter in their nation`s sports history by clinching Ukraine`s first-ever gold medal at the U22 European Championship. They achieved this remarkable feat by decisively defeating the defending champions, Czech twins Anna and Katerina Pavelková, in a straight-set final (21-16, 21-18).
Romaniuk and Serdiuk possess an impressive competitive background, having previously secured fourth place in the U22 European Championship last season, earned a silver medal at the U18 EuroBeachVolley in 2021, and famously won gold at the FIVB U19 World Championship in the subsequent year.
Poland`s Malgorzata Ciezkowska and Urszula Lunio, who were silver medalists last year, once again reached the podium on Sunday, this time claiming bronze. Their victory came after a hard-fought tie-breaker (21-23, 22-20, 15-13) against the Swiss duo Muriel Bossart and Leona Kernen.
Rotar and Canet Secure Second Youth Title
The men`s final featured a compelling showdown between two of the most accomplished teams in the tournament. Ultimately, the French duo, comprising 21-year-old Téo Rotar and 20-year-old Arthur Canet, emerged triumphant, overcoming Latvians Kristians Fokerots and Olivers Bulgacs in straight sets (21-14, 21-18). This significant victory marked France`s inaugural title in this particular age category.
Rotar, who played a key role in France`s victory at the CEV Beach Nations Cup last year, and Canet share an impressive and extensive resume in youth tournaments. Their accolades include gold medals at the U20 European Championship in 2023 and the FIVB U19 World Championship in 2021. Furthermore, they secured a third-place finish at the U22 European Championship last year, showcasing their consistent performance.
Their victory in the gold medal match prevented Latvian prodigy Kristians Fokerots from achieving a remarkable milestone: winning continental titles across four distinct age categories. The talented 20-year-old blocker had already secured the U18 European Championship in 2022 and impressively claimed both the U20 and senior titles last year.
The bronze medal in Baden was awarded to Austrians Tim Berger and Timo Hammarberg. They secured a well-deserved podium spot for the host nation with a commanding straight-set victory (21-18, 21-8) over Lithuanians Karolis Palubinskas and Povilas Piesina.
Looking ahead, the U20 European Championship is scheduled to take place next week in the Spanish capital, Madrid, with intense competition expected from Thursday through Sunday.
Jasper Thornfield 
Finley Blackwood