U22 European Championship Highlights
The 2025 U22 European Beach Volleyball Championship concluded on Sunday in Baden, marking a historic moment as both Ukraine and France secured their inaugural gold medals in men`s and women`s competitions, respectively. This event once again highlighted the promising future of beach volleyball across Europe.
The women`s podium at the Baden championship featured teams from Ukraine, Czechia, and Poland.
The victories of Ukraine`s Daria Romaniuk and Yeva Serdiuk in the women`s division, and France`s Téo Rotar and Arthur Canet in the men`s, represent a significant milestone, showcasing the growing strength of both nations in continental and international beach volleyball. For Ukraine, Romaniuk (21) and Serdiuk (21) continued their nation`s recent success, securing the country`s first U22 European Championship gold. This comes just weeks after Maryna Hladun and Tetiana Lazarenko claimed the senior EuroBeachVolley title. In a decisive final, Romaniuk and Serdiuk defeated the defending champions, Czech twins Anna and Katerina Pavelková, in straight sets (21-16, 21-18).
Romaniuk and Serdiuk`s triumph extended Ukraine`s recent golden streak, following their compatriots Hladun and Lazarenko`s victory two weeks prior.
Romaniuk and Serdiuk`s journey to gold included a fourth-place finish at last season`s U22 European Championship, silver at the U18 EuroBeachVolley in 2021, and gold at the FIVB U19 World Championship the following year. Meanwhile, Polish duo Malgorzata Ciezkowska and Urszula Lunio, silver medalists last year, returned to the podium to claim bronze. They secured third place by overcoming Swiss pair Muriel Bossart and Leona Kernen in a thrilling tie-breaker (21-23, 22-20, 15-13).
Rotar and Canet Secure Second Youth Title
In the men`s competition, the final match featured two highly skilled teams. Ultimately, France`s Téo Rotar (21) and Arthur Canet (20) secured their nation`s first-ever title in this age category, defeating Latvians Kristians Fokerots and Olivers Bulgacs in straight sets (21-14, 21-18).
Canet and Rotar`s victory further cements their successful track record in age-group tournaments.
Rotar, a key player in France`s CEV Beach Nations Cup triumph last year, and Canet boast an impressive youth record, including gold medals at the U20 European Championship in 2023 and the FIVB U19 World Championship in 2021. They had previously secured a bronze medal at last year`s U22 European Championship. Their decisive win in the final also thwarted Latvian prodigy Kristians Fokerots` bid for continental titles across four different age categories. Fokerots, a 20-year-old blocker, had previously won the U18 European Championship in 2022 and both U20 and senior titles last year. The bronze medal in Baden was claimed by Austrian pair Tim Berger and Timo Hammarberg, who secured third place for the host nation with a straight-sets victory (21-18, 21-8) against Lithuanians Karolis Palubinskas and Povilas Piesina.
The next major event, the U20 European Championship, is scheduled to take place in Madrid, Spain, from Thursday to Sunday next week.
