Greetings, everyone! In this week's edition, our spotlight shines on the recently crowned world champions and the remarkable journey that led them to the pinnacle of beach volleyball glory. In the end, we bring you a video with some behind-the-scenes glimpses of the sport we love. Let's dive right in!

Thank You, Tlaxcala! - Highlights from the Beach Volleyball World Championships

After 10 days and 216 matches, we've crowned new beach volleyball world champions. Cheng and Hughes from the USA secured the gold medal on the women's side, while Perusic and Schweiner from the Czech Republic emerged victorious in the men's division. If you recall, my previous bets were entirely off the mark, and I suspect many of you found ourselves in the same situation.

Women’s

Let's start with the ladies. Cheng and Hughes displayed remarkable resilience on their journey to gold. In their pool, they secured two 2-0 victories and faced a setback against Agatha and Rebecca from Brazil, with a score of 15-21, 22-24.

Progressing to the Round of 32, they clinched a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Autrinan's Klinger D. and Klinger R. The Round of 16 witnessed another fierce competition where they triumphed 2-1 against Tina and Anastasija. In the Quarterfinals, they sailed to a 2-0 win against Brazil's Tainá and Victoria, and in the Semifinals, they overcame Nuss and Kloth from the USA with a 2-1 victory. Finally, in the grand finale, they outshined Ana Patrícia and Duda with a score of 16-21, 22-24.

In total, they played 8 games, winning 7 of them with 3 sets. Although it wasn't a perfect record, their dedication and improving gameplay were commendable. I'm an avid fan of Hughes, and it's a delight to see her in action. I'm thrilled that they secured the gold medal and can't wait to see how they continue to enhance their game.

Men’s

Now, turning to the men's side, Perusic and Schweiner navigated through an intense tournament too. They played a total of 8 games, winning 6 and losing 2.

They began with a 2-1 loss against Alyo and Diaz from Cuba, followed by a 2-0 victory against Galindo and Agirre from Mexico and another 2-0 loss to Evandro and Arthur from Brazil. Despite finishing third in their pool, they advanced to the Round of 32 as one of the top four teams ranking third.

In the Round of 32, they secured a 2-0 win against Spain's Herrera and Gavira, and in the Round of 16, they won 2-0 against Italy's Lupo and Rossi.
Their Quarterfinal clash against the top-seeded Vikings from Norway was nothing short of extraordinary, resulting in a thrilling 2-1 victory (21-14, 14-21, 15-12). What a match, and what a performance by Perusic and Schweiner!
In the Semifinals, they secured a relatively straightforward 2-0 victory against the American duo Crabb Tr. and Brunner, with a final score of 21-15 and 21-12.

Finally, the gold medal match pitted them against Sweden's Jump Setters, Ahman and Hellvig. Ahman and Hellvig played exceptionally well throughout the tournament, losing only in the final. In the first five games, they dominated with 2-0 victories. While they conceded a set in the quarterfinals and the semis. They were the favorites based on statistics. However, as we know, the outcome took a different turn.

Perusic and Schweiner clinched the gold with a 2-1 victory, showcasing incredible volleyball (21-15, 17-21, and 15-13). An astonishing performance from the Czech team. Schweiner's consistency was remarkable, as he stood out as the best scorer and attacker of the tournament. And let's not forget Perusic, one of the world's finest defenders. Their victory was well-deserved. Kudos to Ahman and Hellvig for their incredible performance throughout the tournament and their spirited comeback in the third set, a remarkable feat in a final match.

We're eagerly looking forward to the next Beach Volleyball World Championships, scheduled for Adelaide, Austria in 2025. For more details, please visit Adelaide 2025 Beach Volleyball World Championships.

Video of the week

This week, we've a video from Chapparita Nuss and Barbie Kloth that takes us behind the scenes and unveils fascinating aspects of beach volleyball that often go unnoticed. In the video, they talk about several intriguing and interesting topics like:

• The downtime and the waiting for the matches

• The altitude impact

• The beach volleyball Barbie 🎀

• Share a ride with your opponent to the match

• The bronze medal game

See you soon!
VP