BEACH PRO TOUR SEASON STARTS WITH GOLD FOR NORWAY & NETHERLANDS

Big Olympic qualification points in the bag for medalists in Doha as 2023 season sees familiar faces take home the top prizes

The new season of the Beach Pro Tour got off to a spectacular start as teams from Norway and the Netherlands claimed gold at the Volleyball World Elite16 event in Doha on Sunday.

Reigning Olympic and World champions Anders Mol and Christian Sørum of Norway and Dutch duo Katja Stam and Raisa Schoon were the big winners.

As well as the gold medals, the champions registered 600 points in their quest for Olympic qualification, which began in the road to Paris here in Doha.

Another title for world number ones

The men’s competition was again dominated by the irrepressible Vikings, who saw off the challenge of Swedish pair, David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig.

Having lifted the Beach Pro Tour Finals trophy last week, Mol and Sørum overcame a slow start in the first set before pulling away to triumph 21-19, 21-19 and secure their fourth Elite16 gold to finish the event with six wins out of six.

Blocker Mol, 25, said afterwards: “We had a really difficult match in the semi-finals earlier today and were really tired getting into the match.

“We got some rest and were ready to fight again. I think we really put everything we had into this game because we had to play the best we could to beat the Swedish boys. It was a great final and they’re really pushing us to our best level every time.”

“I have said before and I’ll say it again – Anders Mol is the difference,” added 27-year-old defender Sørum. “But we have good chemistry and we never give up, we push each other all the time. He has some x-factors with his blocking and his serving and that allows me to stay patient and work on my side out because I know that in the end, he’ll make a difference. I can’t believe we made it to final again and that we won it.”

Dutch master Swiss to win women’s gold

Rising stars Schoon, 21, and Stam, 24, won their third Elite16 of their fledgling careers with a comeback victory over Nina Brunner and Tanja Hüberli.

The Swiss pair took the first set but an injury to Hüberli impaired the blocker’s movement and the Dutch duo took advantage to seal a 20-22, 21-14, 15-11 victory. The gold added to their bronze at the Beach Pro Tour Finals last week and last season's Elite16 titles in Rosarito and Paris.

“In a final, every point counts and we just went for it,” Schoon explained. “I think we did a very good job. The consistency of Katja’s blocking was incredible and I got to dig so many balls. It’s an amazing feeling. I’m very proud.”

Stam added: “This is the first tournament in the Olympic qualification period and that’s our dream goal, so it’s certainly a good start.

“I’m already looking forward to the rest of the season and our goal will be to keep the same level of play we showed here and make it even better. I think that’s what we did here in Doha, we kept growing during the tournament and I’m happy about it.”

Australia and Italy also take home hardware

In the battle for bronze, Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho Del Solar took third place in the women’s event. After finishing just out of the medals in the Beach Pro Tour Finals last week, the Australians avoided a second successive fourth place by coming from one set down to beat Latvian pair Anastasija Samoilova and Tina Graudina, 12-21, 21-15, 15-10.

Meanwhile in the men’s event, the Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Carambula renaissance continued as the Italians beat Beach Pro Tour 2022 runners-up Bartosz Losiak and Michal Bryl 22-20, 22-20 to claim third place. The bronze medal is the pair’s third in four events after reuniting as a partnership at the end of last year.

Next stop on the sand

The Beach Pro Tour 2023 next heads to Mexico in March. A Challenge event takes place between 16-19 March in La Paz before the best in the world reunite for the second Elite16 of the season in Tepic between 22-26 March.

Information and photo source : International Volleyball Federation