The 2025 CEV U20 European Beach Volleyball Championship concluded recently in Madrid, with teams from Poland and Denmark triumphantly claiming the coveted continental titles. The engaging four-day tournament, hosted at the prestigious Parque Deportivo Puerta de Hierro, brought together a formidable lineup of elite young athletes from 32 different nations across the continent, all competing fiercely for the gold medals.
Women`s Tournament Highlights
In the fiercely contested women`s event, the Polish pair of 18-year-old Zuzanna Kudlik and 19-year-old Julia Radelczuk delivered a truly dominant performance. Their victory successfully returned Poland to the top of the podium, a position previously held by Malgorzata Ciezkowska and Urszula Lunio in 2023. Despite playing together for the very first time in their international careers this week, the dynamic Polish duo achieved an exceptional feat: winning seven consecutive matches without dropping a single set. Their impressive and flawless run culminated in a gold medal victory over the French team of Romane Sobezalz and Saofé Duval, whom they defeated with scores of 25-23 and 21-16 in the thrilling final match.
The bronze medal was secured by Austria`s reigning U18 European champions, Lia Berger and Lilli Hohenauer. They convincingly triumphed over their Latvian rivals, Līva Ēbere and Renāte Krūklīte, in straight sets (21-19, 21-8) in the third-place playoff.
Men`s Tournament Highlights
The men`s competition saw Denmark`s 19-year-old Andreas Brinck and Villads Napier secure yet another continental title in Madrid. This marks their second victory in the city, following their triumph at the U18 European Championship in 2023. Their continued success further solidifies their reputation as one of Europe`s most promising and emerging beach volleyball teams.
Brinck and Napier also maintained an impressive undefeated record throughout the tournament, securing seven victories. While they did drop two sets over the week, one of which occurred in Sunday`s dramatic gold medal match, they ultimately prevailed. They overcame Finland’s formidable duo of Veeti Viljamaa and Aleksi Hänninen in a thrilling tie-breaker, with scores of 21-18, 21-23, 15-11. Meanwhile, the Hungarian pair of Bence Tari and Ákos Veress also earned a spot on the podium in Madrid, clinching the bronze medal after a hard-fought three-set victory (16-21, 21-18, 15-11) against Italy’s Andrea Sanguanini and Matteo Marchesan.
Upcoming Event
The 2025 season`s final age-group continental tournament, the U18 European Championship, is eagerly anticipated and scheduled to take place in Corigliano Rossano, Italy, from September 11-14.
Jasper Thornfield 
Finley Blackwood