In Tenerife, which boasts sunny weather even in February, numerous international beach volleyball stars have gathered for training in recent weeks. On the beaches of Los Cristianos, in the south of the island, they have been preparing intensively for the upcoming season. Meanwhile, a high-profile tournament took place in which several top duos battled it out for the first title of the year.
Three of the top ten men's beach volleyball duos in the world met in an eagerly awaited final. However, the title went to none other than the reigning European champions and world number two, Åhman/Hellvig, who started the year on the sunny Spanish island in impressive style. Beach Volley Vikings Mol/Sørum, who are currently number one in the world rankings, secured a respectable second place. The two Scandinavian duos have faced each other several times before, most recently at the World Finals in Doha, where the young Swedes also triumphed over Mol/Sørum. Third place went to the Germans Ehlers/Wickler, who are currently ranked seventh in the world.
In the women's event, the last-minute team of German beach star Cinja Tillmann and young Czech Kylie Neuschaeferová secured first place. While Tillmann is undoubtedly the more experienced of the two, Neuschaeferová also has an impressive track record: She finished second at the U22 European Championships last year and placed in the top ten at three different Futures tournaments in the 2023 season. The second place went to the Swiss power duo Hüberli/Brunner. The reigning European and Swiss champions have an impressive track record behind them, including a ninth-place finish at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and showed their prowess on the Spanish beach as well. If they continue on their current successful course, a place at the Olympic Games in Paris could become a reality for them. Finally, third place went to Gonzalez/Lobato, the only Spanish duo to make it to the final rounds. Although Lobato announced her retirement from professional beach volleyball via Instagram at the beginning of the year, she still showed herself to be in top form in front of her home crowd.
