Brazil and Norway dominate at the Elite16 in João Pessoa

Another Elite16, another weekend filled with spectacular rallies and high-class beach volleyball. From October 16 to 20, beach stars from around the world finally met again in João Pessoa after a long Elite16 break, delivering breath-taking moments for fans.

One of the many sensations was definitely the Capogrosso brothers from Argentina. They succeeded in the pool game against the Qataris, Cherif/Ahmed, and in the round of 12 against the local favorites Evandro/Arthur with outstanding performances. After a close 2:1 victory against the Norwegians Mol H./Berntsen, Capogrosso N./Capogrosso T. advanced to their first semifinal at an Elite16, where they faced Cherif/Ahmed again. However, the brothers could not replicate their previous day's performance and ultimately lost 2:0 (21-10, 21-13).
Meanwhile, the Beach Volley Vikings faced off against the Swedish Olympic champions in a true Nordic beach thriller to secure a spot in the final. After two evenly matched sets, Mol/Sørum managed to win the semifinal 2:1 (22-20, 18-21, 15-10) thanks to solid sideout play and Mol’s exceptional blocking skills.

In the battle for third place, the underdogs Capogrosso N./Capogrosso T. faced the world’s second-ranked Swedish team, Åhman/Hellvig. The brothers surprised again by winning the first set 21-19. However, after a long tournament break since the Olympics, Åhman/Hellvig returned to their usual strong performance and turned the match around with a score of 21-19, 18-21, 15-11. This marked their first bronze medal since 2022 in the Maldives, instead of gold or silver.

The final between Mol/Sørum and Cherif/Ahmed showcased beach volleyball at its best. After their last encounter at the 2024 Olympics, where the Norwegians secured bronze, this matchup promised thrilling moments. The first set was close until it reached 16-18 for Norway, but the Qataris launched an impressive comeback after a controversial referee decision. With the support of Brazilian fans, Cherif/Ahmed showed great nerve and won the set 27-25. In the second set, however, they lost after a service error on set point, going down 17-21. The deciding third set was not for the faint-hearted: a disputed net ball led to an intense back-and-forth race, but in the end, the Beach Volley Vikings triumphed with 19-17, securing gold again after Hamburg. Cherif/Ahmed celebrated their first silver medal of the season.

While Austria's men's teams had already been eliminated in the qualifiers, the Klinger sisters were able to start directly in the women’s main draw. They recorded their first victory against the established team Taiana Lima/Talita, who eventually made it to the final. However, in the round of 16, the Klingers narrowly lost to the second finalists, Thamela/Victoria. After a clear loss in the first set, the Klingers kept their nerves and turned the set around to 21-19. The third set was briefly interrupted due to a bee sting on Dorina Klinger’s hand, but ultimately went to the Brazilian pair Thamela/Victoria. Despite this, the sisters finished their third Elite16 with a solid ninth place.

After both U.S. teams, Hildreth/Van Gunst and Kraft/Denaburg, lost to the dominant Brazilian women in the semifinals, the final matches featured a hard-fought internal duel between the U.S. teams for bronze and a Brazilian showdown for gold between Thamela/Victoria and Taiana Lima/Talita. In the battle for bronze, Hildreth/Van Gunst decisively defeated Kraft/Denaburg 2:0 (21-18, 21-14). This victory was especially impressive, as Hildreth/Van Gunst had to fight their way through qualification and were now able to celebrate their first Elite16 medal.

With the Brazilian fans behind them, the center court provided the perfect backdrop for the ultimate beach showdown, where the women’s final was themed “new partnerships vs. established stars.” Although it was only their third tournament together, Thamela/Victoria impressed again with their skill, securing a convincing 2:0 victory (21-14, 21-14) against the seasoned Taiana Lima/Talita.