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European beach volleyball had, once again, tremendous success in the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, winning three of the six medals in play in the 2023 edition of the tournament, which came to an end on Sunday in Mexico.
All three medals were won by men’s teams as, for the second time in the last three editions, Europe managed to produce a podium sweep with Czechia’s Ondrej Perusic/David Schweiner taking gold, Sweden’s David Åhman/Jonatan Hellvig claiming silver and Poland’s Michal Bryl/Bartosz Łosiak securing bronze. It was also the fourth-straight edition of the World Championships to end with a European team at the top of the podium.
The gold medal match in Tlaxcala was a rematch of the 2022 EuroBeachVolley final between Czechs and Swedish. Perusic and Schweiner, who lost the continental battle last year, got the better of the two-time European champions Åhman and Hellvig, winning in three sets (21-15, 17-21, 15-13) to secure the biggest victory in Czech beach volleyball history.
The world title also earned Czechia an automatic berth at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Ondrej Perusic“It’s unreal, I really don’t know how to describe my feelings because I can’t quite understand them. If I had to pick one word, it would be pride. I’m very proud of our entire team and everyone who contributed to our journey and who was by our side since the beginning. This is a huge accomplishment, not only for us, but for Czech beach volleyball and I’m really proud to give this to everyone back at home. It’s a dream coming true.”
In the bronze medal match, Bryl and Łosiak defeated Americans Theo Brunner and Trevor Crabb in two sets (21-17, 21-18) to confirm the all-European podium and also give Poland its first-ever medal at the World Championships.
Michal Bryl“To make history, it’s like a dream for us. Yesterday was one of the worst days in my life, but today is one of the best. After we lost in the semifinals, it was like building from zero again. The bronze medal match was a big challenge mentally because its’ been a long tournament and we’re exhausted. But it feels amazing to go back home with the medals.”
In the women’s event, Europe managed to advance two teams to the quarterfinals, but the Netherlands’ Raisa Schoon and Katja Stam lost to silver medalists Eduarda ‘Duda’ Lisboa/Ana Patrícia Ramos of Brazil while reigning European champions Nina Brunner and Tanja Hüberli of Switzerland fell to bronze medalists Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss of the United States, finishing fifth. Americans Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes were the winners.
Following the World Championships, the international season continues with a Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge event in Goa, India, from Thursday to Sunday.