The Ukrainian duo came from behind to defeat German opponents Bock and Lippmann in the gold medal match.
Ukrainian beach volleyball players Maryna Hladun and Tetiana Lazarenko have returned to the top of the podium on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour, clinching victory at the Challenge event held in Warmia Mazury, Poland. This win marks their first title in seven months.
The Ukrainian pair secured the gold medal, sharing the podium at Anders Hotel Beach with silver medalists Linda Bock and Louisa Lippmann of Germany, and bronze medalists Clémence Vieira and Aline Chamereau from France.
Remaining undefeated throughout their six matches in Poland this week, Hladun, 32, and Lazarenko, 21, faced their toughest challenge in the final. They battled through their first tie-breaker of the tournament in the gold medal match, overcoming a first-set deficit to defeat Bock and Lippmann with a score of 2-1 (19-21, 21-14, 15-11) to claim the title.
This victory marks the third Beach Pro Tour title for Hladun and Lazarenko since they partnered in 2023. It is their second win at a Challenge-level event, following their triumph in Chennai last November. Considered one of Ukraine`s top international teams, Hladun and Lazarenko have now accumulated six medals in 15 Beach Pro Tour events across all categories. Their initial title together was also earned in Poland, winning the 2023 Futures event in Warsaw in only their second tournament as a team.
Hladun commented on their success in Poland, saying, “We like to play in Poland because it’s really close to our country and the people are always really nice to us. They support us so much.”
Reaching the final in Warmia Mazury earned Bock and Lippmann their first Beach Pro Tour medals as a partnership. Both players transitioned to beach volleyball after spending several years playing indoor volleyball. Lippmann made the switch in 2022 and represented Germany at the Paris Olympics, while Bock transitioned just a few months ago.
French Olympians Claim Second Consecutive Bronze
In the match for third place, French Olympians Vieira and Chamereau defeated Americans Julia Donlin and Lexy Denaburg in straight sets (21-18, 21-18) to secure the final spot on the podium.
Vieira reflected on their recovery after the semifinal loss: “Putting the semifinal loss behind us wasn’t easy. We were sad last night, but we did a good job of talking about it. We saw good things in our semifinal match, too, and managed to get the energy back for today.”
This bronze medal is the second in a row for the French pair at Challenge events, following their third-place finish in Alanya just two weeks prior.
Looking ahead on the 2025 Beach Pro Tour calendar, the next Challenge event is scheduled to take place in Brazil from September 3-9. Before that, an Elite tournament will be held next week in Gstaad, Switzerland.
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick