NORWAY AND USA TEAMS CROWNED BEACH PRO TOUR CHAMPIONS

Curtain comes down on 2022 beach volleyball season with Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes and Anders Mol and Christian Sørum as champions

The first ever Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Champions were crowned in Doha on Sunday to complete a memorable first season of the competition.

On a fitting end to the 2022 campaign, Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng of the United States and Anders Mol and Christian Sørum of Norway came out on top in the women’s and men’s finals at the Beach Pro Tour Finals 2022 at Aspire Park.

The teams’ reward is not only a cheque for 150,000 US Dollars – the highest amount of the international beach volleyball scene – but also the Most Valuable Trophy, the unique prize made out of recycled materials collected from beaches.

Six of the best for Mol and Sørum

Victory for the Norwegians meant they ended the competition unbeaten, winning all six matches, beating the only other remaining team in the competition.

Vikings Mol and Sørum, the reigning Olympic and world champions, saw off the challenge of Polish pair Michal Bryl and Piotr Losiak in straight sets, 21-18, 21-18.

The gold was Mol and Sørum’s 19th international victory in just 45 career events and their fifth title of 2022, adding to the Elite16 golds secured in Ostrava, Paris and Cape Town plus their world title.

“This Finals title is really, really, really cool,” said Mol afterwards. “We fought so many great teams here, in Doha. The best of the best are here, so I’m really proud and very tired.”

“It’s been just tough matches at this tournament,” Sørum added. “What’s made the difference is that I have Anders by my side. He was really carrying the team in this final. He played amazing, had some amazing blocks and just kept pushing. I was tired, but he just kept giving me good feedback on my reception, and it was enough to win the game.”

Three-in-a-row for American heroes

Hughes and Cheng came into the final chasing a third straight tournament victory since reuniting as partners at the end of the calendar year after back-to-back wins in Australia.

And the US duo were in scintillating form to earn the hat-trick by beating reigning world champions Eduarda Santos Lisboa ‘Duda’ and Ana Patricia Ramos of Brazil in straight sets, 21-18, 21-16.

“Kelly and I are so happy That was just such an amazing finish,” Hughes said after the last whistle. “I am so proud of her. She was absolutely perfect and I think we are very steady as a team. We are so excited to come out with a win, and we are also looking forward to next week.”

“I am speechless right now. I’m really proud of our team,” Cheng added. “We have another tournament next week, so we are probably going to get some ice cream from the mall and then sleep for like 12 hours tonight. We’ll sleep and recover as best as we can and then get out and fight next week.”

Dutch and Italian pairs complete podium

Raisa Schoon and Katja Stam, Elite16 winners in Rosarito back in March, ended their excellent season with a bronze medal, after the Dutch duo defeated Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho Del Solar in straight sets (21-18, 21-10).

The fight for third in the men’s competition was a thrilling battle that went the way of Italian partnership Paolo Nicolai and Samuele Cottava. The pair, winners of an Elite16 in Jurmala earlier in the season, saw off the challenge of experienced Dutchmen Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen in three sets (22-20, 19-20, 16-14).

A new season begins on Wednesday

The best in beach volleyball return to the sand in Doha next week as the 2023 season kicks off with the first event of the calendar.

Qualification for the Elite16 event begins on Wednesday morning at 09:00 local time.

Information and photo source : International Volleyball Federation