Lausanne, Switzerland, August 1, 2016 — After another amazing Swatch FIVB Major event in Austria last week, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) will now see many of the amazing athletes of the 2016 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour head to Brazil to compete in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Following the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Aug. 6-18 competition for Beach Volley), the FIVB World Tour regular season will conclude Aug. 22-28 with the ASICS World Series of Beach Volleyball, a $800,000 FIVB Grand Slam.
The 2016 FIVB season will officially end with the $500,000 Swatch FIVB World Tour Final to be held in Toronto, Canada on Sept. 13-18. With $100,000 going to each gold medal winning team, the top eight teams in the final points for the 2016 FIVB World Tour plus four wild card tandems in each gender will compete in Toronto.
Last week in Austria saw a team from Latvia capture the men’s gold medal along with a team from Germany claim the women’s gold medal at the $800,000 Swatch A1 FIVB Klagenfurt Major, the last of four Swatch FIVB Major Series events on the 2016 FIVB World Tour. It was the 20th men’s event and 17th women’s event in the 2016 FIVB World Tour.
KLAGENFURT MEN
In the men’s competition this past week at the Swatch A1 FIVB Klagenfurt Major the gold medal winners with a near-perfect 7-1 record was Latvia’s top-seeded Olympians Alexandrs Samoilovs/Janis Smedins who stopped Brazil’s fourth-seeded young guns Saymon Barbosa/Gustavo ‘Guto’ Carvalhaes in twin sets, 21-18, 21-18 in a quick 35 minutes. Latvia’s Samoilovs/J. Smedins increased their series history lead between the two teams to 3-0.
For Latvia’s Olympians Samoilovs/J. Smedins, it was their ninth gold medal on the FIVB World Tour as a team in 46 events, 21st final four finish along with five silver medals, three bronze medals and four fourth-place finishes. Individually, it was the 21st final four placement for Samoilovs in 142 career FIVB tournaments along with nine gold medals, six silver medals and three bronze medals. For J. Smedins, who won the bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympic games with Martins Plavins, it was his 10th career FIVB World Tour gold medal in 25 final four finishes with six silver medals, four bronze medals and five fourth place finishes.
For Brazil’s bombastic youthful Saymon/Guto, both just 22 years old, it was their first silver medal on the FIVB World Tour as a team in just 14 events, fifth final four finish along with one gold medal and three bronze medals.
In the men’s bronze medal match in Austria, winning was Canada’s third-seeded Olympians Ben Saxton/Chaim Schalk who held off Poland’s 11th-seeded Bartosz Losiak/Michal Bryl in three sterling sets, 23-21, 17-21 and 15-12 in 52 monumental minutes. For Canada’s Saxton/Schalk, it was fourth FIVB World Tour bronze medal in 46 events and fifth final four finish along with one silver medal. It was the first FIVB World Tour event as a team for Poland’s Losiak/Bryl as Losiak has qualified for the Rio Olympics with Piotr Kantor who sat out this tournament recovering from injury.
In the Klagenfurt men’s semifinals, Latvia’s Samoilovs/J. Smedins defeated Canada’s Saxton/Schalk in twin sets, 21-16, 21-18 in just 34 minutes and Brazil’s Saymon/Guto advanced to the gold medal match by defeating Poland’s Losiak/Bryl in straight sets, 21-16, 24-22 in 42 minutes.
Celebrating his 29th birthday on the day of the gold medal match, Latvia’s Janis Smedins was selected as the men’s most outstanding player in Klagenfurt.
KLAGENFURT WOMEN
The women’s competition in Austria saw Germany’s top-seeded Olympians Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst compile a very strong 6-1 record, holding off the valiant effort by Switzerland’s fifth-seeded Olympians Joana Heidrich/Nadine Zumkehr in three superb straights to win the gold medal, 24-22, 14-21 and 15-11 in an agonizing 51 minutes.
For Germany’s Ludwig/Walkenhorst, it was their 17th final four finish in 36 career FIVB World Tour events. As a team, they have earned seven gold medals, three silver medals, four bronze medals and three fourth-place finishes. Individually, Ludwig, who finished ninth in the Olympic Games in Beijing (2008) and fifth in London (2012) with Sara Goller Niedrig, has 32 final four finishes with seven gold medals, 12 silver medals, eight bronze medals and five fourth place finishes. Walkenhorst, who will be in her first Olympic Games in Rio, has 17 FIVB World Tour final four finishes with seven gold medals, four silver medals, three bronze medals and three fourth place finishes.
For Switzerland’s determined Heidrich/Zumkeher, who are also heading to Brazil from Austria, this was their fifth final four finish and first FIVB World Tour silver medal in 42 events as a team along with two gold medals and two bronze medals. Individually, Heidrich has five career FIVB World Tour final four finishes in 61 events with two gold medals and two bronze medals. Zumkeher has nine career FIVB World Tour final four finishes in 124 FIVB tournaments with four gold medals, three bronze medals and one fourth place finish.
In the women’s bronze medal match in Klagenfurt, Switzerland’s 18th-seeded young lionesses Nina Betschart/Tanja Huberli upset Argentina’s 13th-seeded two-time Olympians Ana Gallay/Georgina Klug in two sets, 21-19, 21-17 in 42 minutes. It was the first win after two earlier 2016 pool play losses for the Swiss misses against Argentina’s Gallay/Klug.
For Switzerland’s Betschart, just 20 years old and a two-time FIVB U21 World Champion two Swiss 2016 Olympians Joana Heidrich (2011) and Anouk Verge Depre (2012), and Huberli, just 23 and the 2014 FIVB World Tour most improved player, the tender duo earned their first FIVB World Tour final four finish in 10 tournaments to go along with two fifth-place finishes.
To reach the women’s gold medal match in Austria, in their respective semifinals, Germany’s Ludwig/Walkenhorst defeated Switzerland’s Betschart/Huberli in two sets, 21-11, 21-19 in 32 minutes and Switzerland’s Heidrich/Zumkehr advanced by stopping Argentina’s Gallay/Klug in straight sets, 21-19, 21-17 in 42 minutes.
Switzerland’s Joana Heidrich was selected as the women’s most outstanding player of the Klagenfurt tournament.
MEN’S WINNERS SHARE
Last week’s Swatch A1 FIVB Klagenfurt Major men’s champions Samoilovs/J. Smedins of Latvia picked up the Swatch FIVB Major gold medal purse of $57,000. Brazil’s runner-up Saymon/Guto claimed $43,000 in prize money while Canada’s bronze medalists Saxton/Schalk earned $32,000 and Poland’s Losiak/Bryl received $24,000 in prize money for their fourth place finish.
WOMEN’S WINNERS ROLL
The Swatch A1 FIVB Klagenfurt Major women’s champions Ludwig/Walkenhorst of Germany earned the winner’s $57,000 purse. Switzerland’s Heidrich/Zumkehr collected the runner-up $43,000 purse to split from their silver medal placement and Switzerland’s Betschart/Huberli earned $32,000 for their bronze medal finish. Argentina’s fourth-place finishers Gallay/Klug earned $24,000 in prize money.
MEN’S POINTS/EARNINGS
After 20 men’s events on the 2016 FIVB World Tour, Latvia’s Aleksandrs Samoilovs/Janis Smedins have moved all the way to the top of the FIVB World Tour point standings with 5,270 points in 12 events while USA’s Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena are second with 5,070 points in just 10 events. Third is Italy’s Adrian Carambula/Alex Ranghieri duo is second with 5,060 points. Fourth is Poland’s Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak with 4,760 and fifth is USA’s John Hyden/Tri Bourne with 4,710 points. Sixth is Mexico’s Lombardo Ontiveros/Juan Virgen with 4,430 points while seventh is Canada’s Ben Saxton/Chaim Schalk with 4,400 points, eighth is USA’s Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson with 4,300 points, ninth is Netherlands’ Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen with 4,300 points and 10th with 4,140 points in just seven events is Brazil’s Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt.
In the 2016 FIVB World Tour men’s season earnings after 20 events, Latvia’s Aleksandrs Samoilovs/Janis Smedins have climbed to the top of the money list with $217,875 in 12 events. Second is Brazil’s Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt with $206,000 in just seven events, third is USA’s Dalhausser/Lucena with $188,000, Brazil’s Pedro Solberg/Evandro Goncalves tandem is fourth with $166,0, and fifth is Netherlands’ Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen with $148,375. Sixth is Poland’s Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak with $139,750, Tied for seventh with $132,375 each are Brazil’s Saymon Barbosa/Gustavo Carvalhaes and Canada’s Ben Saxton/Chaim Schalk, ninth is USA’s Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson with $124,125, and 10th is Netherlands’ Reinder Nummerdor/Christiaan Varenhorst with $120,125.
WOMEN’S POINTS/EARNINGS
For the women after 17 events on the 2016 FIVB World Tour, Germany’s Ludwig/Walkenhorst remain on the top rung on the ladder with 5,980 points in only 11 events. Moving up to second with 4,800 is Germany’s Julia Sude/Chantal Labourer, third with 4,730 is USA’s Kerri Walsh Jennings/April Ross while fourth with 4,700 points is Germany’s Karla Borger/Brita Buthe and Germany’s Katrin Holtwick/Ilka Semmler duo is fifth with 4,620 points, Sixth is Brazil’s Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca with 4,340 in just eight events. Seventh is Italy’s Marta Menegatti/Viktoria Orsi Toth tandem with 4,260 points, eighth with 4,110 points is Switzerland’s Isabelle Forrer/Anouk Vergé-Dépré, ninth is Argentina’s Ana Gallay/Georgina Klug with 3,970 points and 10th with 3,950 points is Spain’s Elsa Baquerizo/Liliana Fernandez.
In the 2016 FIVB World Tour women’s season earnings after 17 events, Germany’s Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst remain in the top spot with $282,375 in earnings in just 11 events while second is USA’s Kerri Walsh Jennings/April Ross with $217,000 in just eight events, third with $210,000 in just eight events as well is Brazil’s Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca, fourth with $139,250 is Germany’s Julia Sude/Chantal Laboureur and fifth with $138,875 is Germany’s Karla Borger/Britta Buthe. Sixth with $127,000 is Canada’s Heather Bansley/Sarah Pavan, seventh is Switzerland’s Joana Heidrich/Nadine Zumkner with $111,150, eighth is Spain’s Elsa Baquerizo/Liliana Fernandez wih $102,000, ninth with $99,000 is Brazil’s Eduarda Lisboa/Elize Maia and 10th with $98,375 is Netherlands’ Madelein Meppelink/Marleen Van Iersel.
MEN’S FINAL FOURS
After 20 men’s tournaments on the 2016 FIVB World Tour schedule, 16 countries have at least one final four placement. Leaders with 14 final four placements is Brazil (five gold medals, five silver, two bronze, two fourth place finishes), second with 13 final fours is the United States (four gold medals, three silver medals, three bronze medals, three fourth place finishes). Third with eight final four finishes is Poland (one gold medal, four bronze medals, two fourth places) and tied for fourth with seven final four placements each are Latvia (three gold medals, two bronze medals, two fourth places) and Italy (three gold medals, two silver medals, two fourth place finishes).
Sixth with six final four placements is Germany (one gold medal, two silver medals, one bronze medal, two fourth places), seventh with five final fours is the Netherlands (one gold medal, two silver medals, two bronze) and eighth with four final fours each are Russia (two silver medals, one bronze medal, one fourth place finish). Tied for ninth with three final fours is Mexico (one silver medal, two bronze medals) and Spain (one gold medal, one bronze medal, one fourth place finish). Tied for 11th with two final fours each are Austria (two silver medals), Canada (one silver medal, one bronze medal), and Chile (two fourth places). Tied for 14th with one final four finish each are France (one fourth place), Greece (one fourth place) and Qatar (one gold medal).
WOMEN’S FINAL FOURS
In 17 women’s FIVB international events to date on the 2016 calendar, 17 countries have earned at least one final four finish. Co-leaders in final four placements with 14 each are Brazil (four gold medals, five silver medals, three bronze medals, two fourth place finishes) and Germany (five gold medals, one silver medal, six bronze medals, two fourth places). Third with nine is the United States (four gold medals, two silver medals, two bronze medals, one fourth place finish), fourth with seven is Switzerland (two gold medals, one silver medal, two bronze medals, two fourth place finishes) and tied for fifth with four final four placements each are Argentina (four fourth place finishes) and the Netherlands (one silver, three fourth place finishes).
Seventh with three final four placements is Italy (one silver medal, one bronze, one fourth place), eighth with two final four finishes is Spain (one silver medal, one bronze medal) and ninth with two final four finishes is Canada (one bronze medal, one silver medal). Tied for 10th with one final four finish each are Austria (one silver medal), Australia (one fourth place), China (one silver medal), Czech Republic (one gold medal), Finland (one silver medal), Poland (one silver medal), Slovak Republic (one bronze medal) and Vanuatu (one fourth place).
MEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE/MATCH WINS
Based on percentage, statistically, in men’s action after 20 events on the 2016 FIVB World Tour calendar with a minimum of 35 matches played, the leader at 84.6% continues to be USA’s Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena (55-10) while continuing in second at 84.1% is Brazil’s Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt (37-7), third at 73.6% is Netherlands’ Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen (39-14), fourth at 73.2% is Latvia’s Aleksandrs Samoilovs/Janis Smedins (52-19), and fifth at 72.1% is Brazil’s Gustavo Carvalhaes/Saymon Barbosa (49-19).
Sixth at 71.2% is Spain’s Adrian Gavira/Pablo Herrera (37-15), seventh at 71.1% is Brazil’s Pedro Solberg/Evandro Goncalves (32-13), eighth at 69.4% is Italy’s Paolo Nicolai/Daniele Lupo (34-15), ninth at 69.0% is Poland’s Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak (52-24) and 10th at 68.4% is USA’s Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson (41-19).
With 55 match wins this season through 20 events on the 2016 FIVB World Tour, leading this category is USA’s Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena (55-10), tied for second with 52 match wins are Italy’s Adrian Carambula/Alex Ranghieri (52-25), Latvia’s Aleksandrs Samoilovs/Janis Smedins (52-19) and Poland’s Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak (52-24) and fifth with 49 match wins is Brazil’s Saymon Santos/Gustavo Carvalhaes (49-19). Sixth with 48 match wins is Mexico’s Lombardo Ontiveros/Juan Virgin (48-23), seventh with 45 match wins USA’s Tri Bourne/John Hyden (45-32), tied for eighth with 41 wins each are Latvia’s Martins Plavins/Haralds Regza (41-32 and)USA’s Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson (41-19), and 10th with 40 wins is Germany’s Markus Bockermann/Lars Fluggen (40-26).
WOMEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE/MATCH WINS
Based on percentage, statistically, in women’s action after 17 events on the 2016 FIVB World Tour calendar with a minimum of 30 matches played, the leader at 87.9% is Germany’s Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst (58-8), second at 87.7% is USA’s Kerri Walsh Jennings/April Ross (50-7), third at 87.2% is Brazil’s Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca (41-6), fourth at 74.6% is Germany’s Karla Borger/Britta Buthe (47-16) and ffifth at 74.3% is Brazil’s Agatha Bednarczuk/Barbara Seixas (26-9).
Sixth at 71.1% is Germany’s Julia Sude/Chantal Laboureur (54-22), seventh at 66.7% each are Canada’s Sarah Pavan/Heather Bansley (24-12) and Switzerland’s Joana Heidrich/Nadine Zumkehr (40-20), ninth at 65.1% is Brazil’s Eduarda Lisboa/Elise Maia (41-22) and 10th at 64.6% is Italy’s Marta Menegatti/Viktoria Orsi Toth (42-23).
For the women in match wins following 17 events on the 2016 FIVB calendar, leader with 58 match wins is Germany’s Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst (58-8) while second with 54 match wins is Germany’s Julia Sude/Chantal Laboureur tandem (54-22). Third with 50 match wins is USA’s Kerri Walsh Jennings/April Ross (50-7) and tied for fourth with 47 match wins each are Germany’s Katrin Holtwick/Ilka Semmler (47-35) and Germany’s Karla Borger/Britta Buthe (47-16).
Sixth with 42 match wins is Italy’s Menegatti/Orsi Toth (42-23), tied for seventh with 41 match wins each are and Brazil’s Eduarda Lisboa/Elize Maia (41-19) and Brazil’s Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca (41-6) and Argentina’s Ana Gallay/Georgina Klug (41-30). Tied for 10th with 38th match wins each are Finland’s Taru Lahti/Riika Lehtonen (38-30) and Switzerland’s Isabelle Forrer/Anouk Verge-Depre (38-29).
ON THE HORIZON
Brazil is hosting five international events in 2016. In addition to Maceió, Rio, Vitoria and Fortaleza, the Brazil events will be capped with the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Aug. 6-18).
After the Swatch A1FIVB Klagenfurt Major last week, one more event remains on the 2016 FIVB World Tour schedule followed by the finals.
Following the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, there are two more events scheduled on the 2016 FIVB World Tour calendar. First event scheduled is the $800,000 FIVB Long Beach Grand Slam (Aug. 23-28) and the Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals (Sept. 13-18, Toronto, Canada). The Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals, with $100,000 going to each winning team, will feature the top eight point leaders in each gender from the current FIVB World Tour plus four wild card teams in each gender.
GROWING HISTORY
The FIVB Long Beach Grand Slam in the United States will be the 350th men’s tournament since the FIVB began play in 1987 and the 311th FIVB women’s tournament since their competition started in 1992.
FIVB 2016
Based in Lausanne, Switzerland as the international governing body for the Olympic sports of Beach Volleyball and Volleyball, the 2016 FIVB Beach Volleyball calendar features a purse of US$8.8 million with a season that extends from last October to this October, competing at 23 venues in 13 countries. The schedule includes four FIVB Grand Slams, four Swatch FIVB Major Series events, 13 FIVB Opens and the special Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals. The showcase event will be the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil (Aug. 6-18).
The 2015 portion of the 2016 FIVB World Tour calendar started in October in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and included two more open events prior to the remainder of the schedule resuming at the FIVB Kish Island Open in Iran in February.
ROAD TO RIO
The Olympic qualification process began in 2015 with all FIVB World Tour events (except the Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals) in 2015 through June 12, 2016 counted towards the Olympic Ranking in order to determine 15 spots for each gender that will take part in each 24-team field in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Copacabana Beach in Brazil in August. Brazil also was awarded two additional spots in the field of 24, one in each gender as the host nation and the other as winning both the men and women’s gold medals in the 2015 FIVB World Championships in the Netherlands.
FIVB WORLD TOUR PURSES
The four FIVB Grand Slam and four Swatch FIVB Major Series competitions in 2016, all double-gender, each have $800,000 in total purses. The total of $500,000 will be the purse for the Swatch FIVB World Tour Season Final which will feature the top eight teams in each gender and two wild card teams.
The 13 FIVB Open tournaments on 2016 calendar, 11 double-gender, and three men’s only, have $150,000 total purses for the double gender events and $75,000 for the single-gender competitions.
The gold medal teams in each gender at FIVB Grand Slam and Swatch FIVB Major Series events split $57,000, the silver $43,000, the bronze $32,000 and fourth place $24,000. The gold medal teams in each gender at FIVB Open tournaments each split $11,000, the silver $8,000, the bronze $6,000 and fourth place $4,500.
FIVB EVENT FORMAT
Implemented in 2013, the format of all the FIVB Beach Volleyball international tournaments – whether FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, FIVB Beach Volleyball Grand Slam or FIVB Beach Volleyball Open – are the same, featuring pool play followed by single elimination knockout rounds. Country Quota playoffs returned as needed in 2015 to determine the final teams for the qualification tournament.