The Elite16 tournament in Hamburg has come to a thrilling conclusion, with both the men's and women's competitions featuring this year’s Olympic bronze medalists rising to the top of the podium. The competition was fierce at the Am Rothenbaum Stadium, but it was Beach Volley Vikings Mol/Sørum and Switzerland's Hüberli/Brunner who claimed the coveted gold medals.
Norwegian Olympians Anders Mol and Christian Sørum continued their successful run in the 2024 season, collecting their second Elite16 gold medal this year after their triumph at the A1 Beach Pro Vienna in July. Their 2-0 (21-15, 21-11) win over Spanish legends Pablo Herrera and Adrián Gavira in the gold medal match secured them their 24th international title, cementing their place as the second-most successful men’s team in beach volleyball history. Their Hamburg win came after bronze medals in Elite16 events both Gstaad and Doha earlier this year as well as the Paris Olympics, adding to their growing list of accolades.
For Spain's Pablo Herrera, the gold medal match marked the end of an extraordinary international career. Alongside his partner, Adrián Gavira, Herrera earned his first Elite16 medal of the season, a fitting finale for the beach volleyball legend who has inspired fans across the globe.
In the bronze medal match, Dutch Boermans/de Groot clinched a 2-0 (21-18, 21-13) victory over Italy’s Cottafava/Nicolai. Having already secured gold in Doha and bronze in Ostrava, they once again showed their consistency at the highest level.
Hammarberg/Berger competed in an Elite16 tournament for the second time and impressed with a significant improvement. While they finished in 21st place at their last home event in Vienna, the Austrian youngsters climbed to an impressive ninth place in Hamburg. The Austrian women also had reason to celebrate: the Klinger sisters made it into the top ten as well.
