Poland and Denmark have proudly joined the ranks of continental beach volleyball champions for the 2025 season. Teams representing both nations achieved significant victories at the CEV U20 European Championship, which concluded recently in Madrid.
The prestigious tournament unfolded over four intense days at Madrid`s Parque Deportivo Puerta de Hierro. It attracted young talent from 32 different European nations, all competing fiercely for the coveted gold medals.
In the women`s category, the formidable Polish duo of 18-year-old Zuzanna Kudlik and 19-year-old Julia Radelczuk successfully brought Poland back to the top of the podium. Their victory follows the impressive win by Malgorzata Ciezkowska and Urszula Lunio in 2023.
Despite this being their inaugural international event as a team, Kudlik and Radelczuk showcased exceptional skill, winning seven consecutive matches without dropping a single set on their path to the Madrid title. In the thrilling gold medal match, they demonstrated their dominance by defeating French contenders Romane Sobezalz and Saofé Duval in straight sets (25-23, 21-16).
The reigning U18 European champions, Lia Berger and Lilli Hohenauer of Austria, completed the podium. They secured the bronze medal by overcoming Latvians Līva Ēbere and Renāte Krūklīte in straight sets (21-19, 21-8) in the bronze medal play-off.
CEV U20 European Championship – Women: Key Highlights
On the men`s side, 19-year-old Danes Andreas Brinck and Villads Napier celebrated their second continental title in Madrid. Their triumph here follows their victory at the U18 European Championship in the same city in 2023, solidifying their reputation as one of Europe`s most promising beach volleyball teams.
Brinck and Napier also maintained an undefeated record with seven victories throughout the tournament, though they dropped two sets over the week. In a nail-biting gold medal final on Sunday, they emerged victorious over Finland`s Veeti Viljamaa and Aleksi Hänninen in a decisive tie-breaker (21-18, 21-23, 15-11).
Hungarians Bence Tari and Ákos Veress also earned a spot on the podium in Madrid, securing the bronze medal. They defeated Italians Andrea Sanguanini and Matteo Marchesan in a hard-fought three-set match (16-21, 21-18, 15-11).
CEV U20 European Championship – Men: Key Highlights
Looking ahead, the U18 European Championship, which is the final age-group continental tournament scheduled for the 2025 season, is set to take place in Corigliano Rossano, Italy, from September 11-14.
