Lausanne, Switzerland, September 8, 2016 — After a glorious regular season played out across the globe, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) now showcases the 2016 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour with the $500,000 Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals in Toronto, Canada.
The second special post-season event, to be held next week (Sept. 13-18), features a $100,000 purse for the winning teams in each gender.
ROAD TO TORONTO
This unique, end-of-the-year event features the top eight point leaders from the 2016 FIVB World Tour final point standings (with a maximum of two teams per country) along with four at-large wild card selections, again bound by the two-teams per country quota.
SWATCH SOUNDS
The launch of the Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals last year in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, saw Brazil capture both gold medals with 2016 Olympic champions Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt winning the men’s Swatch gold medal while winning the women’s Swatch gold medal last year was Brazil’s Larissa Franca/Talita Antunes, the top-ranked team in the world again this year.
OH CANADA!
The Toronto event is the only FIVB international tournament to be held Canada in 2016 and the first in Canada since the FIVB Quebec Open in 2011 and the first time back in Toronto since 2000. Canada also hosted the 2011 and 2012 FIVB U21 World Championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Through the 2011 event in Quebec, Canada has hosted a total of 16 FIVB World Tour events (eight men, eight women). Overall, the FIVB World Tour has visited three Canadian cities for double-gender events—Montreal (2002, 2005, 2006), Toronto (1998, 1999, 2000) and Quebec (2011).
Brazil leads the medal count in both genders. In the men’s totals after eight events in Canada, Brazil has 13 medals, followed by the USA with 5, Australia and Canada with two each and with one men’s medal each in Canada are Argentina and Spain.
After eight FIVB World Tour women’s events held in the Canada through 2011, Brazil leads the medal parade with 14 total medals followed by the USA with seven, China with two and with one women’s medal is Australia.
NOW, THE STATS
Entering the second Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals, here are some tantalizing tidbits of interesting info regarding this year’s colorful countries and amazing athletes:
• Thirteen (13) countries will fill berths for the 2016 Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals. Four of five FIVB confederations will be represented in the competition.
Asia - 1 women’s team;
Africa - none;
Europe - five men’s and six women’s teams;
NORCECA - five men’s and four women’s teams;
South America - two men’s and two women’s teams
• Host Canada will have the maximum number of teams allowed – four (4).
• Brazil and the
United States will have three teams (two men’s and one women’s) in the competition
• With
Argentina (women),
Australia (women),
Latvia (men),
Mexico (men),
Poland (men) and
Switzerland (women) sending teams to the Finals for the first time, a total of 14 countries will now have had a team(s) that will participate in the Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals.
1. Argentina - 1 women’s team (first-time for country);
2. Australia - 1 women’s team (first-time);
3. Brazil - 2 men’s and 1 women’s teams;
4. Canada - 2 men’s and 3 women’s teams;
5. Germany - 2 women’s teams;
6. Italy - 1 men’s and 1 women’s teams (first-time for women);
7. Latvia - 1 men’s team (first-time);
8. Mexico - 1 men’s team (first time);
9. Netherlands - 1 men’s team;
10. Poland - 2 men’s teams (first-time);
11. Spain - 1 women’s team;
12. Switzerland - 2 women’s teams (first time);
13. United States - 2 men’s and 1 women’s teams
• A total of 10 teams and 13 players will be repeat participants in the Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals after competing in the inaugural event in October 2015 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., USA.
Men’s Teams, 2015 Finals placement
1. Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt, Brazil, first; 2. Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena, United States, second; 3. Pedro Solberg/Evandro Goncalves, Brazil, third; 4. Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen, Netherlands, fourth; 5. Ben Saxton/Chaim Schalk, Canada, seventh
Women’s Teams, 2015 Finals placement
1. Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca, Brazil, first; 2. Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst, Germany, second; 3. Liliana Fernandez/Elsa Baquerizo, Spain, seventh; 4. Jamie Broder/Kristina Valjas, Canada, ninth; 5. Julia Sude/Chantal Laboureur, Germany, ninth
Women’s Players, 2015 Finals placement
1. Heather Bansley, Canada (2015 with Sarah Pavan, fourth); 2. Sarah Pavan, Canada (2015 with Heather Bansley, fourth); 3. April Ross, United States (2015 with Lauren Fendrick, fifth)
Rio 2016 Olympians
• Eleven (11) of the 12 2016 Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals men’s teams competed in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
1. Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt, Brazil, gold; 2. Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen, Netherlands, Bronze; 3. Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena, United States, fifth; 4. Adrian Carambula/Alex Ranghieri, Italy, ninth; 5. Ben Saxton/Chaim Schalk, Canada, ninth; 6. Evandro Goncalves/Pedro Solberg, Brazil, ninth; 7. Lombardo Ontiveros/Juan Virgen, Mexico, ninth; 8. Mariusz Prudel, Poland, 17th; 9. Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak, Poland, 17th; 10. Aleksandrs Samoilovs/Janis Smedins, Latvia, 19th; 11. Josh Binstock/Sam Schachter, Canada, 19th
• Ten (10) of the 12 2016 Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals women’s teams competed in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
1. Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst, Germany, gold; 2. Kerri Walsh Jennings/April Ross, United States, bronze; 3. Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca, fourth; 4. Louise Bawden/Taliqua Clancy, Australia, fifth; 5. Joana Heidich/Nadine Zumkehr, Switzerland, fifth; 6. Jamie Broder/Kristina Valjas, Canada, ninth; 7. Marta Menegatti/Laura Giombina, Italy, ninth; 8. Liliana Fernandez/Elsa Baqueriza, Spain, ninth; 9. Isabelle Forrer/Anouk Verge Depre, ninth; 10. Ana Gallay/Georgina Klug, Argentina, 19th
MISCELLANEOUS STATS
Men
Average Age: 30; Average Experience: 11 years; Average Height: 6-5
Youngest: 22 years old—Piotr Kantor, Poland and Bartosz Losiak, Poland, 26—Evandro Goncalves, Brazil, Sam Schachter, Canada and Alexander Brouwer, Netherlands
Oldest: 43—John Hyden, United States; 36—Nick Lucena, United States; Phil Dalhausser, United States; 35—Josh Binstock, Canada; 32—Lombardo Ontiveros, Mexico; 31—Aleksandrs Samoilovs, Latvia
September Birthdays: September 22, Nick Lucena, United States (36)
Least Experienced: 5 years—Tri Bourne, United States; 7 years—Evandro Goncalves, Brazil; Alex Ranghieri, Italy
Most Experienced: 16 years—John Hyden, United States; 15 years—Nick Lucena, United States, Pedro Solberg, Brazil; 14 years—Janis Smedins, Latvia, Aleksandrs Samoilovs, Latvia, Phil Dalhausser, United States
Shortest: 6-0—Adrian Carambula, Italy; 6-1—Nick Lucena, United States, Bruno Oscar Schmidt, Brazil, 6-2—Lombardo Ontiveros, Mexico
Tallest: 6-11—Evandro Goncalves, Brazil; 6-9—Robert Meeuwsen, Netherlands, Phil Dalhausser, United States; 6-8—Alison Cerutti, Brazil; 6-7—Ben Saxton, Canada, Piotr Kantor, Poland
Women
Average Age: 29; Average Experience: 10 years; Average Height: 5-11
Youngest: 23—Melissa Humana-Parades, Canada; 24—Brandie Wilkeerson, Canada; Taliqua Clancy, Canada, Anouk Verge-Depre, Switzerland, Joana Heidrich, Switzerland
Oldest: 38—Kerri Walsh Jennings, United States; 35—Louise Bawden, Australia; 34—Isabelle Forrer, Switzerland; Larissa Franca, Brazil, April Ross, United States, Talita Antunes, Brazil
September Birthdays: September 13—Heather Bansley, Canada (28); September 2—Julia Sude, Germany (29)
Least Experienced: 4 years—Georgina Klug, Argentina, Sarah Pavan, Canada, Brandie Wilkerson, Canada
Most Experienced: 17 seasons—Isabelle Forrer, Switzerland; 16—Kerri Walsh Jennings, United States; 14—Talita Antunes, Brazil; Larissa Franca, Brazil; Laura Ludwig, Germany Julia Sude, Germany and Nadine Zumkehr, Switzerland
Shortest: 5-7—Heather Bansley, Canada; 5-8—Nadine Zumehr, Switzerland, Jamie Broder, Canada, Georgina Klug, Argentina, Ana Gallay, Argentina
Tallest: 6-5—Sarah Pavan, Canada; 6-3—Joana Heidrich, Switzerland; Kerri Walsh Jennings, United States; 6-2—Kristina Valjas, Canada
FIVB WORLD TOUR TEAM GOLD MEDALS
• A total of 17 of the 24 teams participating in the Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals have combined to win the following gold medals as teams on the FIVB World Tour.
Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca, Brazil, 13; April Ross/Kerri Walsh Jennings, United States, 11; Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt, Brazil, 10; Aleksandrs Samoilovs/Janis Smedins, Latvia, 9; Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst, Germany, 8; Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena, United States, 5; Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen, Netherlands, 2; Joana Heidrich/Nadine Zumkehr, Switzerland, 2; Adrian Carambula/Alex Ranghieri, Italy, 2; Evandro Goncalves/Pedro Solberg, Brazil, 2; Grzegorz Fijalek/Mariusz Prudel, Poland, 1; Julia Sude/Chantal Laboureur, Germany, 1; Jamie Broder/Kristina Valjas, Canada, 1; Isabelle Forrer/Anouk Verge-Depre, Switzerland, 1; Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak, Poland, 1; Josh Binstock/Sam Schachter, Canada, 1; John Hyden/Tri Bourne, United States, 1
ON THE HORIZON
Following the regular-season ending ASICS World Series of Beach Volleyball at the $800,000 FIVB Long Beach Grand Slam (Aug. 23-28) in the USA, the post-season Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals (Sept. 13-18, Toronto, Canada) will be held. 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 $500,000 Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals in Canada will be the 351st men’s tournament since the FIVB began play in 1987 and the 312th 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 featured a purse of US$8.25 million with a season that extends from last October to this October, competing at 22 venues in 12 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 was 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.
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.