The home-court advantage played a significant role as European beach volleyball teams delivered a powerful performance on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour this week. Duos from the continent claimed gold in both the men`s and women`s Elite events held in Hamburg, which concluded on Sunday.
Duos from Norway, Italy, Poland, and the Netherlands made it to the podium in Hamburg (Photo: Volleyball World)
Norwegian stars Anders Mol and Christian Sørum led an all-European men`s podium, while Italians Valentina Gottardi and Reka Orsi Toth triumphed in the women`s competition. Overall, European athletes secured four out of the six available medals during the week at the iconic Am Rothenbaum Stadium.
Men`s Competition: Mol and Sørum Secure Third August Title
In the men`s tournament, Mol and Sørum continued their phenomenal run, clinching their third title in August. The “Beach Volley Vikings” had previously won a record fifth CEV EuroBeachVolley championship and also secured a Beach Pro Tour Elite event in Montréal just two weeks prior. Demonstrating remarkable consistency throughout the Hamburg tournament, the Norwegians successfully defended their title from last year, defeating Polish Olympians Michal Bryl and Bartosz Łosiak in straight sets (25-23, 21-14) in the gold medal match.
Mol and Sørum in action at Hamburg (Photo: Volleyball World)
The bronze medal match also featured two European teams, with Dutch Olympians Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot overcoming the 2024 European champions Martins Plavins and Kristians Fokerots of Latvia in straight sets (21-16, 21-10). This secured them a third-place finish in Hamburg for the second consecutive year.
Women`s Competition: Gottardi and Orsi Toth`s Historic First Gold
On the women`s side, Gottardi and Orsi Toth celebrated their inaugural Beach Pro Tour title as partners in spectacular fashion. They defeated Brazilians Thamela Coradello and Victoria Lopes, currently ranked number one in the FIVB World Ranking, in a thrilling tie-breaker (17-21, 21-18, 15-6) to claim gold in Hamburg.
Orsi Toth and Gottardi won their first international tournament as partners (Photo: Volleyball World)
Having teamed up at the beginning of the 2025 season, the Italian duo secured their second medal together, following a silver at a Challenge event in Alanya in June. Their victory in Hamburg also marked a historic moment, being the first gold medal for an Italian female team in an Elite event on the Beach Pro Tour.
Europe nearly saw a fifth team on the podium in Hamburg, as local favorites Svenja Müller and Cinja Tillmann of Germany competed in the bronze medal match. Despite fervent support from thousands of home fans, 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.
Upcoming Events
European teams are now set to prepare for a two-week stretch of the Beach Pro Tour in Brazil, with consecutive Elite events scheduled for João Pessoa (September 17-21) and Rio de Janeiro (September 25-28).
