Teams backed by FIVB Volleyball Empowerment achieved notable success at the recent CEV U20 Beach Volleyball European Championships in Madrid, securing one gold and one silver medal. Denmark`s Andreas Sejer Kofod Brinck and Villads Flugge Napier claimed the men`s title. In the women`s event, France`s Romane Sobezalz and Saofe Duval took silver, falling to Poland`s Zuzanna Kudlik and Julia Radelczuk in the final. Austria`s Lia Berger and Lilli Hohenauer earned the women`s bronze. For the men, Finland`s Veeti Viljamaa and Aleksi Hanninen won silver, and Hungary`s Bence Tari and Akos Veress secured bronze.
Volleyball Denmark has received significant support from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment, including USD 126,000 for coaching their national beach volleyball teams under German instructor Tobias Rex, plus USD 6,000 for equipment. Brinck and Napier demonstrated dominance throughout the U20 European Championship, achieving an undefeated 7-0 record and dropping only two sets. They defeated Italy`s Andrea Sanguanini and Matteo Marchesan 2-0 (21-14, 24-22) in the semifinal. In a thrilling final, they secured a 2-1 (21-18, 21-23, 15-11) victory against Finland`s Viljamaa and Hanninen. This marks their second continental title, following their U18 European Championship win two years prior, also in Madrid. Brinck also holds a U18 continental silver medal from the previous year with a different partner.
Viljamaa and Hanninen`s only two losses in their eight matches in Madrid were both to Brinck and Napier, including their opening and final games. Their impressive six-match winning streak culminated in a dominant 2-0 (21-13, 21-15) semifinal win over Hungary`s Tari and Veress, ensuring them a medal.
Tari and Veress bounced back from their semifinal loss to secure the bronze medal with a 2-1 (16-21, 21-18, 15-11) comeback victory against the Italian pair. This adds to their previous U18 bronze from two years ago, also in Madrid, marking their second age-group continental medal.
Men’s Results Overview
France`s beach volleyball program has received substantial coach support from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment, amounting to USD 1,077,000, with their youth national teams training under Isabelle Kadjo. Sobezalz and Duval of France, who previously won U18 bronze in Madrid two years ago, improved their standing to claim U20 silver. They advanced to the final flawlessly, not dropping a single set, and capped their six-match winning streak with a 2-0 (21-18, 22-20) victory against Austria`s Berger and Hohenauer.
Poland`s Kudlik and Radelczuk mirrored this dominance, completing their seven matches, including a hard-fought 2-0 (25-23, 21-16) final victory over Sobezalz and Duval, without dropping a single set. Their path to gold included a decisive 2-0 (21-14, 21-16) semifinal win against Latvia’s Liva Ebere and Renate Kruklite.
Berger and Hohenauer, already decorated with four age-category European Championship medals, including last year`s U18 title, added a fifth by defeating Ebere and Kruklite 2-0 (21-19, 21-8) in the bronze medal match.
Women’s Results Overview
The CEV U20 Beach Volleyball European Championships featured 32 men`s and 32 women`s teams, representing 32 different national federations.
