Europeans win four medals in Xiamen

Four European teams will return home from Asia with Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour medals around their necks after the conclusion of this week’s Challenge event in Xiamen, China.

Teams from the continent took silver and bronze in both genders in the second Challenge event of the season, elevating Europe’s medal count in tournaments of this category to nine (two golds, four silvers, three bronze) in 2025.

Swiss Marco Krattiger and Leo Dillier took Europe to the men’s gold medal match in China, where they challenged Qatari Olympic medalists Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, but fell 2-0 (21-14, 21-14), ending a campaign that started in the qualifier and had six wins in eight matches with the team’s first medal at the Challenge level.

The all-European bronze medal match in China had French Téo Rotar and Arnaud Gauthier-Rat overcoming the Norwegian Mol brothers Adrian and Markus in straight sets (21-11, 21-12) to step on the podium together for the first time since they became partners, at the start of the season.

On the women’s side, Finland’s Taru Lathi and Niina Ahtiainen got very close to taking the title, but were stopped by Americans Kylie DeBerg and Toni Rodriguez in a hard-fought, three-set (13-21, 21-13, 15-9) final in China.

The bronze medal match in Xiamen also had a European team facing a duo from the United States, but this time the continent got to celebrate as German qualifiers Lea Kunst and Melanie Paul downed Savvy Simo and Abby Van Winkle 2-0 (21-18, 21-15) to claim the last spot in the podium.

The next Challenge event of the 2025 season will be held in Alanya, Türkiye, from June 11-15.