Following three days of thrilling matches at the #EuroSnowVolleyU20 tournament, young athletes from Türkiye and Italy emerged as champions. Host nation Poland earned two silver medals, while Ukraine secured bronze medals in both the men`s and women`s events.
This event marked the second staging of the U20 Snow Volleyball European Championships. The previous year, in Bakuriani, Georgia, Czechia won the women`s title, with Poland taking silver and Türkiye bronze. For the men, Poland secured gold, followed by Czechia and Türkiye.
This year, the championships were held in Karpacz, a popular resort town in the Karkonosze Mountains. Matches on Friday and Saturday extended into the evening, drawing fans to the Irena Szewińska Stadium to support Europe`s top young teams. The weather conditions were ideal: 15 degrees Celsius, clear skies, and plenty of sunshine.
In the women`s semifinals, Poland 1 defeated Ukraine. Poland 3 nearly caused an upset but Türkiye mounted a comeback to win their match in a tie-break, advancing to the final. The men`s semifinals both finished in straight sets, with Poland 1 and Italy progressing to the gold medal match.
The bronze medal matches for both genders featured confrontations between Poland and Ukraine. Poland 3 (Emilia Żurawska, Maria Pietrin, Wiktoria Surażyńska) was near to winning in two sets, but Ukraine improved their serve reception and forced a tie-break. Ukraine ultimately won the tight contest 15-11. “We really enjoyed playing on snow and felt more confident with each game,” commented the Polish team, who just missed out on a medal in Karpacz. “We would definitely want to play in a tournament like this again if the opportunity arises.”
Soon after, the Ukrainian men`s team (Nikita Pavliuk, Anton Tasenko, Artem Varvanin, Serhii Varvanin) also secured bronze by defeating Poland 4 (Paweł Zatoń, Damian Dudek, Szymon Wolak, Dominik Mućka).
The women`s gold medal match extended beyond 40 minutes. Poland won the opening set, but Türkiye progressively strengthened their serving and defense, eventually claiming the win. “We know we`ll value this silver medal more in time, but currently, we feel the disappointment of being so close to gold,” stated the Poland 1 players (Zuzanna Rapczyńska, Paulina Łabuz, Zofia Preweda, Wiktoria Leśniewicz). “Playing in Karpacz was a wonderful experience – competing at home with our families and friends cheering us on was truly special.”
The Italian men`s team (Laurin Zoeschg, Diego Leon Steger, Michael Stolzlechner, Luis Mairhofer) showcased a strong performance in the final, overcoming Poland 1, a team that regularly trains at SMS Spała. Despite losing their initial match in Karpacz, Italy went on to win all subsequent games to secure the gold medal. “There`s a degree of disappointment as we aimed higher, but we`re still happy and thankful for the chance to compete here,” commented Marcel Wanat, Michał Kucharski, Tomasz Warych, and Wiktor Musiał from the Polish team after their match.
This event was significant for Karpacz, marking the first time the town, and Poland, hosted an international Snow Volleyball tournament.
Jasper Thornfield 
Finley Blackwood