The picturesque Swiss Alps, home to the long-standing Beach Pro Tour stop in Gstaad, recently concluded its Elite16 tournament, showcasing high-level beach volleyball action. This year`s edition proved particularly successful for European contingents, who collectively earned four podium spots, underscoring the continent`s significant presence and competitive strength on the global stage.
Teams representing four different European nations stepped onto the podium on Sunday, claiming two silver and two bronze medals. The results demonstrate both established prowess and the rise of new talent within European beach volleyball circuits.
Women`s Competition Highlights
In the women`s bracket, Latvian Olympians Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova demonstrated their consistent form, reaching the gold medal match. While they put up a solid fight, they ultimately finished with silver, falling to the American duo Kristen Nuss and Taryn Brasher in two sets (21-19, 21-18). This marked a commendable performance against formidable opponents who secured their second consecutive Gstaad title.
The bronze medal match provided a moment of local pride, featuring an all-Swiss battle. The sisters Anouk and Zoé Vergé-Dépré faced off against compatriots Tanja Hüberli and Leona Kernen. In a decisive two-set victory (21-17, 21-11), the Vergé-Dépré sisters secured the bronze. This was a particularly significant achievement, marking the first time in 12 years that a Swiss women`s team reached the podium in front of their home crowd – a noteworthy end to a long wait for local fans.
Latvian and Swiss duos earned medals in the women`s tournament in Gstaad.
Anouk Vergé-Dépré
Swiss Beach Volleyball Player
Men`s Tournament Overview
The men`s tournament saw a compelling narrative unfold with the young Swedish pair of Jacob Hölting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson. Starting their campaign in the qualification rounds on Wednesday, the reigning U22 European champions navigated their way impressively through the draw all the way to the final. Their dream run culminated in a silver medal, following a tightly contested match against the experienced Qatari Olympic medalists Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, who ultimately prevailed 2-0 (21-19, 22-20).
Adding to the European medal tally, Dutch veterans Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot claimed the bronze. The duo, who have a history of success in Gstaad having won the event in 2021, faced off against Brazilians André Loyola and George Wanderley in the third-place playoff. In a three-set thriller (21-23, 21-17, 15-10), the Dutch pair secured the bronze, capping a successful day, notably coinciding with Yorick de Groot`s 25th birthday.
Teams from Sweden and the Netherlands were among the men`s podium finishers.
Yorick de Groot
Dutch Beach Volleyball Player
The Gstaad Elite16 stop once again delivered high-stakes beach volleyball, and European teams proved their mettle across both genders. The tour continues, with the next Elite event scheduled to take place in Montréal, Canada, from August 13-17, offering further opportunities for global competition.
