New year, new goals: Switzerland

In 2024 we’re looking forward both to new duos on the Swiss scene as well as established beach stars that are well along on their road to Paris.

Break-ups and new teams

Last winter, Menia Bentele announced on Instagram that she had split up with her partner Anna Lutz. The young women's duo secured three bronze medals at the 2023 Futures tournaments in Messina, Leuven and Baden as well as gold in Cervia. They also made it into the top 10 in Spiez and Mallorca, though Bentele is set to compete with Muriel Bossart in the new season. Bossart, who is just 17 years old, has already won the U20 European runner-up title and took her first steps on the Beach Pro Tour last season. We can't wait to see where these two Swiss athletes will be heading in 2024.

The men’s duo Métral/Haussener also decided to split up after four years as partners. Together they managed to claim bronze at the Swiss Championships in 2021 and 2023 as well as a silver medal at the Spiez Futures last year and a top-10 spot at the A1 CEV EuroBeachVolley Vienna 2023. Métral decided to take on a new challenge in order to grow and improve. This decision led to a change of partner. In the future, Métral will form a team with Jonathan Jordan. Jordan previously played with Immanuel Zürcher for three seasons; they won their first title at the Leuven Futures in 2023.

Swiss beach-stars in Olympic fever

Nina Brunner and Tanja Hüberli, who currently occupy the eighth spot in the world ranking, are undoubtedly a dynamic duo to keep an eye on in the coming season. In 2023, they have impressively shown what they are made of - be it with their victory at the Swiss national championships or their success at the A1 CEV EuroBeachVolley Vienna 2023 on the international stage. They also secured a remarkable fifth place at the World Championships in Tlaxcala, second place at the Elite16 in Doha and a top 10 finish in Paris. Regarding the City of Lights, it will be interesting to see whether the duo will also be competing at the Olympic Games this summer. After all, they already achieved ninth place together at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Could an Olympic medal in 2024 be the next milestone in their impressive career? It remains exciting to see what heights they will reach next.

Esmée Böbner and Zoé Vergé-Dépré are another strong Swiss women's duo that we can't wait to see next season. Last year, they shone with silver medals in Jūrmala and at the Swiss Championships. They also achieved fourth place in Edmonton and Itapema, fifth place at the A1 CEV EuroBeachVolley in Vienna and impressive top ten finishes at the World Championships and in Haikou. Esmée Böbner and Zoé Vergé-Dépré have not only put in impressive sporting performances, but have also overtaken their compatriots Anouk Vergé-Dépré and Joana Mäder in the world rankings. They are currently in 16th place and are therefore one step closer to the sporting challenges in Paris. This development promises an exciting season as we eagerly await to see how the talented duo will develop.

The duo Vergé-Dépré/Mäder can also look back on an exceptionally successful season. After recovering from the shoulder injury she suffered in 2022, Joana celebrated a successful comeback last year together with Anouk: together they secured a gold medal in Goa, won bronze at the Swiss national championships and finished fourth at the A1 CEV EuroBeachVolley in Vienna. They also achieved top ten finishes in Ostrava, Jūrmala, Haikou and Nuvali. Strengthened by last year's successes, they are optimistic about qualifying for the Olympic Games in Paris. The team's path shows that, despite the challenges, they are constantly working on their performance and are ready to face the upcoming sporting challenges.