European beach volleyball teams delivered an outstanding performance on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour this week, securing gold medals in both the men`s and women`s Elite events held in Hamburg. The continent`s athletes fully leveraged their home-court advantage, concluding the tournament with an impressive display of skill and determination.
Teams from Norway, Italy, Poland, and the Netherlands proudly stand on the podium in Hamburg.
The remarkable results included Norwegian superstars Anders Mol and Christian Sørum, who led an all-European men`s podium, and the Italian duo Valentina Gottardi and Reka Orsi Toth, who triumphed in the women`s competition. In total, European teams claimed four out of the six available medals at the prestigious Am Rothenbaum Stadium, demonstrating their dominance in the sport.
Men`s Competition Highlights
Anders Mol and Christian Sørum continued their phenomenal season, adding a third title in August to their already impressive list of achievements. Known as the “Beach Volley Vikings,” they had previously achieved a record fifth victory at the CEV EuroBeachVolley and won a Beach Pro Tour Elite event in Montréal just two weeks prior. Their consistent high performance throughout the Hamburg tournament culminated in a successful defense of their title, defeating Polish Olympians Michal Bryl and Bartosz Łosiak in a compelling two-set final (25-23, 21-14).
The formidable Norwegian duo, Mol and Sørum, celebrate their hard-fought victory.
“It`s an incredible feeling to win here in Hamburg again. The energy from the crowd was electrifying, and we are so proud to take home another gold medal. Every match was a challenge, but we played our best!”
Christian Sørum
Norwegian Beach Volleyball Player
The battle for the bronze medal also featured two European teams, with Dutch Olympians Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot securing third place for the second consecutive year. They overcame the 2024 European champions, Martins Plavins and Kristians Fokerots of Latvia, in straight sets (21-16, 21-10).
Women`s Competition Highlights
In the women`s event, Valentina Gottardi and Reka Orsi Toth celebrated a significant milestone: their first Beach Pro Tour title as a team. They achieved this by defeating Brazil`s Thamela Coradello and Victoria Lopes, the top-ranked team in the FIVB World Ranking, in a thrilling tie-breaker (17-21, 21-18, 15-6). This victory in Hamburg is particularly noteworthy for the Italian pair, who began their partnership at the start of the 2025 season. It marks their second medal together, following a silver at a Challenge event in Alanya in June, and stands as the first gold for an Italian female team in a Beach Pro Tour Elite event.
Orsi Toth and Gottardi beaming after securing their inaugural international tournament win as partners.
“This is an absolute dream come true for us! Winning our first gold together, especially against such formidable opponents, is an unbelievable experience. We`ve poured so much into our partnership, and this victory proves our hard work is paying off.”
Reka Orsi Toth
Italian Beach Volleyball Player
Although European teams had a stellar week, Germany`s Svenja Müller and Cinja Tillmann narrowly missed a podium finish. Despite the enthusiastic support from their home crowd, they were defeated by reigning Olympic champions Eduarda ‘Duda’ Lisboa and Ana Patrícia Ramos of Brazil in two sets (21-16, 21-18), ultimately finishing in fourth place.
Looking Ahead: South American Tour
Following their successes in Hamburg, European beach volleyball teams are now preparing for a two-week series of Beach Pro Tour events in Brazil. The upcoming schedule includes back-to-back Elite events in João Pessoa (September 17-21) and Rio de Janeiro (September 25-28), where they will aim to extend their strong momentum.
