Lausanne, Switzerland, July 12, 2016 — Following another memorable Swatch FIVB Major event in Switzerland last week, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) will now see the amazing athletes of the 2016 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour have a two week layoff before the final countdown to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
The 2016 FIVB World Tour resumes with the double-gender $800,000 A1 FIVB Klagenfurt Major in Austria (July 26-31), the last of four events in the Swatch FIVB Major Series portion of the 2016 FIVB World Tour. From there it is on to Brazil for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Aug. 6-18).
Last week in Switzerland saw a teams from Brazil capture both the men’s and women’s gold medals at the $800,000 Swatch FIVB Gstaad Major, the third of four Swatch FIVB Major Series events on the 2016 FIVB World Tour. It was the 19th men’s event and 16th women’s event in the 2016 FIVB World Tour. All of the remaining events on the 2016 FIVB World Tour calendar are double gender events.
GSTAAD MEN
In the men’s competition this past week at the Swatch FIVB Gstaad Major the gold medal winners with a near-perfect 6-1 record was Brazil’s 11th-seeded Olympians Pedro Solberg/Evandro Goncalves who stopped USA’s second-seeded Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena in straight sets, 24-22, 21-16 in 41 minutes. Brazil’s Pedro/Evandro evened the series history between the two teams, 1-1, after USA’s Dalhausser/Lucena won the gold medal match between the two teams at this year’s FIVB Maceio Open in Brazil in February.
For Brazil’s Pedro/Evandro, who earned their spot in this year’s Olympic Games as a host country selection, this was their second gold medal in 19 FIVB World Tour events as a team to go with three silver medals and two bronze medals. Individually, Pedro has now played in 48 career FIVB World Tour events with 16 gold medals, 10 silver, 10 bronze and 12 fourth-place finishes. For Evandro, this was his ninth career FIVB World Tour final four with three gold medals, four silver medals and two bronze medals.
For USA’s Dalhausser, who won the Olympic gold medal in 2008 and finished fifth with Todd Rogers in 2012, and Lucena, who will be playing in his first Olympic games, this was their fifth career silver medal on the FIVB World Tour in 17 events as a team to go along with five gold medals and one bronze medal. This was also the seventh final four finish in 10 events on the 2016 FIVB World Tour for USA’s Dalhausser/Lucena. Individually, this was Dalhausser’s 64th career FIVB World Tour final four finish and he now has 14 silver medals, 34 gold medals, 12 bronze medals and four fourth place finishes. For Lucena, he now has 21 career final four finishes on the FIVB World Tour with nine silver medals, five gold, four bronze and three fourth place finishes.
In the men’s bronze medal match in Gstaad, winning was Latvia’s sixth-seeded Olympians Aleksandrs Samoilovs/Janis Smedins who held off Spain’s seventh-seeded Olympians Pablo Herrera/Adrian Gavira in two stunning sets, 21-14, 34-32 in 51 monumental minutes. With their second straight victory over Spain’s Herrera/Gavira, Latvia’s Samoilovs/J. Smedins, increased their series lead over the Spaniards to 5-3.
For Latvia’s Olympians Samoilovs/J. Smedins, it was their third bronze medal on the FIVB World Tour gold medal as a team in 45 events, 20th final four finish along with eight gold medals, five silver medals and fourth fourth-place finishes. Individually, it was the 20th final four placement for Samoilovs in 141 career FIVB tournaments along with eight 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 fourth career FIVB World Tour bronze medal in 24 final four finishes with nine gold medals, six silver medals and five fourth place finishes.
As a team in 81 FIVB World Tour events, Spain’s Herrera/Gavira now have six fourth place finishes along with two gold medals, four silver medals, eight bronze medals and five fourth place finishes.
In the Gstaad men’s semifinals, Brazil’s Pedro/Evandro defeated Spain’s Herrera/Gavira in twin sets, 21-13, 21-18 in just 35 minutes and USA’s Dalhausser/Lucena advanced to the gold medal match by defeating Latvia’s Samoilovs/J. Smedins in straight sets, 21-18, 21-16 in 36 minutes.
Brazil’s Pedro Solberg was selected as the men’s most outstanding player in Gstaad.
GSTAAD WOMEN
The women’s competition in Switzerland saw Brazil’s top-seeded Olympians Talita Antunes, Larissa Franca compile a perfect 7-0 record with an unblemished 14-0 set won-loss mark including two final wins over teams bound for the Olympics, toppling USA’s Kerri Walsh Jennings/April Ross in straight sets to win the gold medal, 21-18, 21-14 in just 33 minutes.
For Brazil’s Talita/Larissa duo, confirmed to compete in the Rio Olympics as a host-country selection, this was their 13th gold medal to go with two silver medals and one bronze medal in just 24 FIVB World Tour events as a duo. Individually, for Talita this was her 31st career FIVB World Tour gold medal to go with 16 silver medals and 15 bronze in 155 FIVB World Tour events. For Larissa, who won the bronze medal (with Juliana Felisberta) at the London 2012 Olympic Games, this was her 59th career FIVB World Tour gold medal (a FIVB record) to go along with 22 silver medals, 18 bronze medals and five four place finishes in 139 career FIVB World Tour events.
USA’s Walsh Jennings/A. Ross now have three silver medals along with 10 gold medals, two bronze medals and two fourth place finishes in 28 FIVB World Tour events as a team. Individually, three-time Olympic champion Walsh Jennings now has 18 career FIVB World Tour silver medals to go along with 54 gold medals, nine bronze medals and five fourth place finishes in 114 events and A. Ross now has 15 career FIVB World Tour silver medals along with 20 gold medals, 11 bronze medals and five fourth place finishes in 114 career FIVB tournaments.
In the women’s bronze medal match in Gstaad, Germany’s third-seeded Olympians Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst beat Netherlands’ seventh-seeded Olympians Madelein Meppelink/Marleen Van Iersel in two sets, 21-18, 21-14 in only 33 minutes. Netherlands’ Meppelink/Van Iersel still lead the series history between the two teams 4-3.
For Germany’s Ludwig/Walkenhorst, it was their 16th final four finish in 35 career FIVB World Tour events. As a team, they have earned six gold medals, three silver medals, fourth 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 six 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 16 FIVB World Tour final four finishes with six gold medals, four silver medals, three bronze medals and three fourth place finishes.
To reach the women’s gold medal match in Hamburg, in their respective semifinals, Brazil’s Talita/Larissa defeated Netherlands’ Meppelink/Van Iersel in two sets, 21-18, 21-29 in 39 minutes and USA’s Walsh Jennings/A. Ross advanced by coming from behind to overcome Germany’s Ludwig/Walkenhorst in three sets, 18-21, 23-21 and 15-11 in 54 minutes.
Brazil’s Talita Antunes was selected as the women’s most outstanding player of the tournament.
MEN’S WINNERS SHARE
Last week’s Swatch FIVB Gstaad Major men’s champions Pedro/Evandro of Brazil picked up the Swatch FIVB Major gold medal purse of $57,000. USA’s runner-up Dalhausser/Lucena claimed $43,000 in prize money while Latvia’s bronze medalists Samoilovs/J. Smedins earned $32,000 and Spain’s Herrera/Gavira received $24,000 in prize money for their fourth place finish.
WOMEN’S WINNERS ROLL
The Swatch FIVB Gstaad Major women’s champions Talita/Larissa of Brazil earned the winner’s $57,000 purse. USA’s Walsh Jennings/A. Ross collected the runner-up $43,000 purse to split from their silver medal placement and Germany’s Ludwig/Walkenhorst earned $32,000 for their bronze medal finish. Netherlands’ fourth-place finishers Meppelink/Van Iersel earned $24,000 in prize money.
MEN’S POINTS/EARNINGS
After 19 men’s events on the 2016 FIVB World Tour, USA’s Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena have moved to the top of the FIVB World Tour point standings with 5,070 points in just 10 events, while Italy’s Adrian Carambula/Alex Ranghieri duo is second with 5,060 points. Slipping to third is Poland’s Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak with 4,760, fourth is Latvia’s Aleksandrs Samoilovs/Janis Smedins with 4,570 points and fifth is Mexico’s Lombardo Ontiveros/Juan Virgen with 4,430. Sixth is USA’s John Hyden/Tri Bourne with 4,350 points while seventh is USA’s Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson with 4,300 points, eighth with 4,140 points is Brazil’s Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt, ninth is Brazil’s Pedro Solberg/Evandro Goncalves with 3,890 points and 10th is Spain’s Pablo Herrera/Adrian Gavira with 3,840 points.
In the 2016 FIVB World Tour men’s season earnings after 19 events, Brazil’s Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt duo continues on the top of the list with $206,000 in just seven events. Second is USA’s Dalhausser/Lucena with $188,000, Brazil’s Pedro Solberg/Evandro Goncalves tandem is third with $166,0, fourth is Latvia’s Aleksandrs Samoilovs/Janis Smedins with 160,875 and fifth is Poland’s Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak with $139,750. Sixth is Netherlands’ Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen with $131,375, seventh is USA’s Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson with $124,125, eighth is Netherlands’ Reinder Nummerdor/Christiaan Varenhorst with $113,125, ninth is Italy’s Adrian Carambula/ Alex Ranghieri tandem with $112,500, and 10th is Spain’s Pablo Herrera/Adrian Gavira with $106,375.
WOMEN’S POINTS/EARNINGS
For the women after 16 events on the 2016 FIVB World Tour, Germany’s Ludwig/Walkenhorst remain on the top rung on the ladder with 5,180 points in just 10 events. Moving up to second with 4,730 is USA’s Kerri Walsh Jennings/April Ross while Germany’s Katrin Holtwick/Ilka Semmler duo is third with 4,620 points, fourth is Germany’s Julia Sude/Chantal Labourer with 4,440 points and fifth is Brazil’s Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca with 4,340. Sixth is Italy’s Marta Menegatti/Viktoria Orsi Toth tandem with 4,260 points, seventh with 4,220 points is Germany’s Karla Borger/Brita Buthe, eighth is Brazil’s Eduarda Lisboa/Elize Maia with 3,650 points, ninth with 3,630 points is Switzerland’s Isabelle Forrer/Anouk Vergé-Dépré and 10th with 3,470 points is Spain’s Elsa Baquerizo/Liliana Fernandez.
In the 2016 FIVB World Tour women’s season earnings after 16 events, Germany’s Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst remain in the top spot with $225,375 in earnings in just 10 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 $128,250 is Germany’s Julia Sude/Chantal Laboureur and fifth with $127,000 is Canada’s Heather Bansley/Sarah Pavan. Sixth with $121,875 is Germany’s Karla Borger/Britta Buthe, seventh with $99,000 is Brazil’s Eduarda Lisboa/Elize Maia, eighth with $98,375 is Netherlands’ Madelein Meppelink/Marleen Van Iersel, ninth with $97,000 is Brazil’s Agatha Bednarczuk/Barbara Seixas and 10th with $96,875 is Italy’s Marta Menegatti/Viktoria Orsi Toth.
MEN’S FINAL FOURS
After 19 men’s tournaments on the 2016 FIVB World Tour schedule, 16 countries have at least one final four placement. Co-leaders with 13 final four placements each are Brazil (five gold medals, four silver, two bronze, two fourth place finishes) and the United States (four gold medals, three silver medals, three bronze medals, three fourth place finishes). Tied for third with seven each are Italy (three gold medals, two silver medals, two fourth place finishes) and Poland (one gold medal, four bronze medals, two fourth places).
Tied for fifth with six final four placements each are Germany (one gold medal, two silver medals, one bronze medal, two fourth places) and Latvia (two gold medals, two bronze medals, two fourth places). Seventh with five final fours is the Netherlands (one gold medal, two silver medals, two bronze). 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) and Chile (two fourth places). Tied for 13th with one final four finish each are Canada (one silver medal), France (one fourth place), Greece (one fourth place) and Qatar (one gold medal).
WOMEN’S FINAL FOURS
In 16 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 five is Switzerland (two gold medals, one bronze medal, two fourth place finishes) and fifth with four final four placements is the Netherlands (one silver, three fourth place finishes).
Tied for sixth with three final four placements each are Argentina (three fourth place finishes), Italy (one silver medal, one bronze, one fourth place). Eighth with two final four finishes is Spain (one silver medal, one bronze medal). Ninth with two final four finishes is Canada (one bronze medal, one silver medal) and 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 19 events on the 2016 FIVB World Tour calendar with a minimum of 34 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 72.9% is Netherlands’ Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen (35-13), fourth at 72.1% is Brazil’s Gustavo Carvalhaes/Saymon Barbosa (44-17) and fifth at 71.4% is Latvia’s Aleksandrs Samoilovs/Janis Smedins (45-18).
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 Russia’s Konstantin Semenov/Viacheslav Krasilnikov (29-13) and 10th at 69.0% is Poland’s Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak (52-24).
With 55 match wins this season through 19 events on the 2016 FIVB World Tour, leading this category is USA’s Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena (55-10), tied for second are Poland’s Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak (52-24) and Italy’s Adrian Carambula/Alex Ranghieri (52-25) while fourth with 48 match wins is Mexico’s Lombardo Ontiveros/Juan Virgin (48-23) and fifth with 45 match wins is Latvia’s Aleksandrs Samoilovs/Janis Smedins (45-18). Sixth with 44 match wins is Brazil’s Saymon Santos/Gustavo Carvalhaes (44-17), seventh with 43 match wins USA’s Tri Bourne/John Hyden (43-29), eighth with 41 wins is USA’s Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson (41-19), ninth with 40 wins is Latvia’s Martins Plavins/Haralds Regza (40-29) and 10th with 39 wins each is Germany’s Markus Bockermann/Lars Fluggen (39-22).
WOMEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE/MATCH WINS
Based on percentage, statistically, in women’s action after 16 events on the 2016 FIVB World Tour calendar with a minimum of 28 matches played, the leader at 88.1% is Germany’s Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst (52-7), 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 74.3% is Brazil’s Agatha Bednarczuk/Barbara Seixas (26-9) and fifth at 74.1% is Germany’s Karla Borger/Britta Buthe (43-15).
Sixth at 70.8% is Germany’s Julia Sude/Chantal Laboureur (51-21), seventh at 66.7% is Canada’s Sarah Pavan/Heather Bansley (24-12), eighth at 66.0% is Switzerland’s Joana Heidrich/Nadine Zumkehr (35-18), 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 16 events on the 2016 FIVB calendar, leader with 52 match wins is Germany’s Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst (52-7) while second with 51 match wins is Germany’s Julia Sude/Chantal Laboureur tandem (51-21). Third with 50 match wins is USA’s Kerri Walsh Jennings/April Ross (50-7), fourth with 47 match wins is Germany’s Katrin Holtwick/Ilka Semmler (47-34) and fifth with 43 match wins is Germany’s Karla Borger/Britta Buthe (43-15).
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 tied for ninth with 36 match wins each are Argentina’s Ana Gallay/Georgina Klug (36-27) and Finland’s Taru Lahti/Riika Lehtonen (36-28).
ON THE HORIZON
Qualification for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games fully completed from the FIVB World Tour and FIVB Continental Cup events, 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 FIVB Gstaad Major last week, the remaining 2016 FIVB World Tour event prior to the Rio Olympics will be one more events on the Swatch FIVB Major Series portion of the 2016 FIVB World Tour. Completing the four-event Swatch FIVB Major Series portion of the 2016 FIVB World Tour will be the Swatch FIVB Klagenfurt Major Series event in Austria (July 26-31).
Following the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, there are three 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), the Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals (Sept. 13-18, location TBA) and the FIVB Puerto Vallarta Open in Mexico (Oct. 11-16). All three are double-gender events.
GROWING HISTORY
The A1 FIVB Klagenfurt Major in Austria will be the 349th men’s tournament since the FIVB began play in 1987 and the 310th 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, 14 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. With qualifying through the FIVB World Tour completed, the official drawing for pool assignments was made last Saturday in Switzerland at the Swatch FIVB Gstaad Major.
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 14 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.