Young Swedes claim EuroBeachVolley title, book ticket to LA28

Jacob Hölting Nilsson/Elmer Andersson of Sweden are the newly-crowned men’s Beach Volleyball European champions following a final day where the youngsters from Sweden first edged their compatriots David Ahman/Jonatan Hellvig in the semis and subsequently prevented Norway’s Anders Mol and Christian Sørum from securing their sixth continental crown. With this result, the Swedes have also secured a spot for their country at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games while further cementing their status as the world’s no. 1 ranked team. 

The sun came out again for the last act of the CEV EuroBeachVolley 2026 in idyllic Stare Jablonki. Hölting Nilsson/Andersson showed the composure of real veterans as they stayed cool and focussed throughout the whole gold medal match – and they regrouped firmly after Mol/Sørum had looked as the dominant force in the second set to win 2-1 (21-18, 18-21, 15-10). This success accounts for their first EuroBeachVolley medal – and the third title for Sweden in the history of the competition after Åhman/Hellvig had topped the charts in 2022 and 2023. 

“It feels amazing,” said Hölting Nilsson, who looked imperious in the all-important tiebreak. “We played better and better with each match – but obviously we had to play the best team in the world in this final and probably one of the finest duos in Beach Volleyball history as well, so this victory truly means a lot to us,” he added. “This is what we have been working for and to qualify for the Olympics is just a dream come true,” added Andersson, “it is actually the dream we have been pursuing ever since we started playing together some years ago, so it feels pretty surreal.”

Their meteoric rise is truly remarkable, especially since last year they had exited the competition in the Round of 16 before claiming a sensational silver medal at the World Championships in Australia. Their consistency and overall quality was impressive to see, especially for two young men still in their early 20s (Andersson recently turned 20 and Hölting Nilsson is just a year older). When the next Olympics take place in less than two years in LA, Andersson and Hölting Nilsson will certainly be a force to reckon with in the battle for the medals. 

Rotar and Gauthier-Rat secure France’s first medal since 1993 

France’s Arnaud Gauthier-Rat and Téo Rotar prevented a full Scandinavian podium in Stare Jablonki as they emerged victorious from the bronze medal match with reigning Olympic and World champions David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig of Sweden. Their result accounts for France’s first medal in the competition since pioneers Christian Penigaud and Jean-Philippe Jodard triumphed in 1993 in Almeria, Spain, when the first edition of the CEV EuroBeachVolley was contested. “It is the third bronze medal we secure from a major international competition after last year’s Worlds in Australia and the Elite 16 held only two weeks ago in Rio de Janeiro,” said a delighted Rotar, who was a towering figure and played a pivotal role in securing his team’s 2-1 victory (21-18, 19-21, 15-12), especially in the tiebreaker where his serve, block and attacks helped the Frenchmen break away after a very close start with both teams completing their side-outs. “It is ‘only’ a bronze medal, but we are very happy with it,” added the 22-year-old Martigues native.  

“We travel home with many good memories from this event. It was my fourth time competing in Stare Jablonki and I simply love coming here – the audience is so passionate and knowledgeable – you can really tell that Polish people love Volleyball and Beach Volleyball and we would like to thank everyone for their amazing support,” added Gauthier-Rat at the end of a bronze medal game where light rain poured down most of the time, and yet the quality of the Beach Volleyball action on display was simply superb.  

Semis got the final day started with Beach Volleyball of the finest level 

The day started with a repeat of last year’s all-Swedish World Championships gold medal match – but this time with a different outcome than in Adelaide. Youngsters Jacob Hölting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson looked fully in control during the opening set before their much decorated countrymen David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig fought back to close the gap with as many as three aces scored by Hellvig. However, the reigning Olympic and World champions could not complete their comeback and their rivals secured an early lead in the match. The final stages of the second set did literally keep the audience on their feet for a while watching Beach Volleyball of the finest level coupled with the right degree of drama. Hölting Nilsson and Andersson required as many as eight match balls to seal their spot in the gold medal match (23-21, 28-26) – another confirmation of their meteoric rise to the top of the world’s Beach Volleyball rankings. Last year, when EuroBeachVolley had taken place in Düsseldorf, the two young Swedes had lost in the Round of 16 to Germany’s Clemens Wickler and Nils Ehlers. 

The second semi-final was far less dramatic as it resulted in a real masterclass and show of strength by the Vikings, Anders Mol and Christian Sørum, who literally thrashed their French opponents (21-13, 21-12), last year’s World bronze medallists Arnaud Gauthier-Rat and Téo Rotar. “It is never as easy as it may look like from the outside,” Sørum said after the semi. “However, we have been having a great tournament and we are obviously very happy with the level of performance that we have been showing this week. We are grateful to the fans for the atmosphere they have been creating here in Stare Jablonki,” he added.