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07/09/2015

2015 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour season update after FIVB Rio Open

Lausanne, Switzerland, September 6, 2015 — Completing a test event on the Copacabana Beach site in Brazil for next year’s Rio 2016 London Olympic Games Sunday, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) continues the qualification process for placement into the Rio 2016 Olympic Games when the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour heads back to Europe this week for the double-gender $150,000 FIVB Sochi Open in Russia.

Last week saw teams from Latvia and host country Brazil win the gold medals at the $150,000 FIVB Rio Open, the 12th men’s and 13th women’s event on the 2015 FIVB World Tour calendar. It was the 147th all-time women’s gold medal for Brazil on the FIVB World Tour.

It was the final qualifying event for the inaugural double-gender $500,000 Swatch 2015 FIVB World Tour Finals to held in the United States in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Sept. 29-Oct. 4) for the top eight teams in each gender in the final 2015 FIVB World Tour Rankings plus two wild card teams will qualify for Fort Lauderdale. The gold medal teams in each gender at the Swatch 2015 FIVB World Tour Finals will each earn a FIVB $100,000 in prize money.

The $150,000 FIVB Sochi Open will be held this Tuesday through Sunday, the second visit to Russia this season. This week’s visit to Russia is the last of four straight double-gender events as the 2015 FIVB World Tour concludes with five events on tap in a six-week window. Following this event will be a week off before the $150,000 FIVB Xiamen Open in China (Sept. 22-27), the final points event on the 2015 FIVB World Tour.

The FIVB Sochi Open will be a 32-team event, per gender. Running parallel schedules, it will start on Tuesday with a qualification tournament to determine the final eight spots in the 32-team main draw followed by two days of round robin pool play. The top 24 teams will advance from pool play to the single-elimination knockout rounds on Friday and Saturday through the semifinals with the men’s and women’s medal matches on Sunday.

RIO MEN
In the men’s competition last week in Rio, winning the gold medal with a 6-1 record for their first win of the season was Latvia’s Aleksandrs Samoilovs/Janis Smedins. Samoilovs/J. Smedins revenged a pool play loss to win the title with a straight set victory over Germany’s Markus Bockermann/Lars Fluggen, 21-15, 25-23 in 44 minutes. It was the fifth FIVB World Tour title for Samoilovs, sixth for J. Smedins, and fifth as a team. In a stunning upset in the bronze medal match, Brazil’s rookie international team of Saymon Barbosa/Gustavo Carvalhaes won their first FIVB World Tour medal by upsetting Brazil’s newly crowned FIVB World Champions Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt, who had won five straight FIVB Tournaments, in three sets, 21-14, 17-21 and 15-8 in 47 minutes.

Germany’s Bockerman/Fluggen upset Brazil’s Alison/Bruno in the semifinals, 21-16, 13-21 and 15-10 in 49 minutes to advance to the gold medal match while Latvia’s Samoilovs/J. Smedins beat Brazil’s Barbosa/Carvalhaes in the other semifinal in two sets, 21-14, 21-17 in 35 minutes to advance.

RIO WOMEN
In the women’s competition in Rio, Brazil’s Larissa Franca/Talita Antunes won the gold medal with a perfect 7-0 record, winning the gold medal match over their Brazilian compatriots Agatha Bednarczuk/Barbara Seixas in three stunning sets, 32-30, 18-21 and 15-12 in 71 minutes, the longest match of the tournament. It was the 56th FIVB career gold medal for Brazil’s Larissa and 28th FIVB World title for Talita. And for Larissa and Talita, it was their 10th gold medal in just 15 events as a team including six gold medals in the nine FIVB events they have played this season. Netherlands’ Madelein Meppelink/Marleen Van Iersel won the bronze medal by defeating Brazil’s Maria Antonelli/Juliana Felisberta in straight sets, 21-15, 21-17 in 41 minutes.

To reach the gold medal match with their semifinal victories, Brazil’s Larissa/Talita defeated Netherlands’ Meppelink/Van Iersel, 21-17, 21-18 in 35 minutes and Brazil’s Agatha and Barbara stopped their Brazilian compatriots Antonelli/Juliana in straight sets as well, 21-19, 22-20 in 49 minutes.

MEN’S WINNERS SHARE
Last week’s FIVB Rio Open men’s champions Samoilovs/J. Smedins of Latvia earned 500 points on the FIVB World Tour and picked up the gold medal purse of $11,000. Germany’s runner-up Bockermann/Fluggen earned 450 valuable points in the FIVB World Tour rankings as well as earning $8,000 in prize money. Brazil’s bronze medalists Barbosa/Carvalhaes earned $6,000 in prize money and 400 points that go toward the Olympic qualification rankings. Brazil’s Alison/Oscar received 350 points and $4,500 in prize money for their fourth place finish.

WOMEN’S WINNERS ROLL
Last week’s FIVB Rio Open women’s champions Larissa/Talita of Brazil also earned 500 points on the FIVB World Tour and also picked up the gold medal purse of $11,000. Brazil’s runner up Agatha/Barbara earned 450 valuable points in the FIVB World Tour Rankings as well picking up the $8,000 purse to split from their silver medal placement and Netherlands’ bronze medal duo Meppelink/Van Iersel earned $6,000 in prize money and 400 points that go towards the Olympic qualification rankings. Brazil’s fourth place Antonelli/Juliana picked up 350 points and $4,500 in prize money.

MEN’S POINTS/EARNINGS
After 12 events, Brazil’s 2015 FIVB World Champions, Gstaad, Yokohama, Long Beach and Olsztyn gold medalists Alison/Bruno Brazil’s has increased their lead in the FIVB World Tour point standings with 6,070. Brazil’s Pedro Solberg/Evandro Goncalves duo is second in the standings with 4,960. Third is Netherlands’ 2013 FIVB World Champions Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen with 4,540 points, fourth with 4,220 points is Netherlands’ Reinder Nummerdor/Christian Varenhorst and in fifth is USA’s Gibb/Patterson with 4,080 points.

In the 2015 FIVB World Tour men’s season earnings after 12 events, Brazil’s Alison/Bruno tandem leads with $345,500 in prize winnings, followed in second by Brazil’s Solberg/Goncalves with $215,000 while third is USA’s Gibb/Patterson with $179,000, fourth Netherlands’ Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen with $175,000, fifth is Netherlands’ Nummerdor/Varenhorst with $173,000, and sixth is Spain’s Pablo Herrera/Adrian Gavira with $159,375.

WOMEN’S POINTS/EARNINGS
For the women after 13 FIVB World Tour events, Brazil’s new FIVB World Champions Agatha/Barbara duo continues at the top of the point list with 6,350 points, Brazil’s Larissa/Talita have closed up gap and are second with 5,840 points with Canada’s Heather Bansley/Sarah Pavan third with 5,070 points. Fourth is Brazil’s Maria Antonelli/Juliana Felisberta with 4,710 and fifth is Netherlands’ Meppelink/Van Iersel with 4,590 points.

In the 2015 FIVB World Tour women’s season earnings after 13 events, Brazil’s Larissa/Talita increased their lead with $335,000 after six wins in nine events, Brazil’s Agatha/Barbara are second with $295,000 with Brazil’s Antonelli/Juliana third with $203,500, fourth is Canada’s Bansley/Pavan with $192,375 and tied for fifth are Germany’s Ludwig/Walkenhorst tandem and Netherland’s Meppelink/Van Iersel tandem with $179,000.

MEN’S FINAL FOURS
In 12 men’s tournament so far in 2015 on the FIVB World Tour, 15 countries have at least one final four placement. Leaders with 11 final four placements is Brazil (six gold medals, one silver, two bronze, two fourth places), second with eight is the Netherlands (one gold medal, four silver medals, one bronze medal, two fourth places). Third with six final four finishes is the United States (one gold medal, two silvers, one bronze, two fourth places) and tied for fourth with four final four finishes are Germany (one gold, one silver, one bronze, one fourth place) and Italy (one gold medal, one bronze, two fourth places). Tied for sixth with three final four placements each are Canada (two silver medals, one bronze), Germany (one gold, one bronze, one fourth place). Tied for eighth with two final four placements each are Austria (one bronze, one fourth place), Poland (one silver, one bronze) and Spain (one gold, one bronze) and tied for 11th with one each are France (one bronze), Latvia (one gold), Russia (one fourth place), Switzerland (one fourth place), and Turkey (one bronze).

WOMEN’S FINAL FOURS
In 13 women’s events this year, 10 countries have earned at least one final four finish. At the top with 21 total final four placements so far is Brazil (10 gold medals, six silver medals, three bronze medals, two fourth places). Tied for second with seven final fours each are Canada (one gold medal, two silver, three bronze, one fourth place) and Germany (two gold medals, one silver, one bronze, three fourth places),fourth with six final fours is the Netherlands (three silvers, two bronze, one fourth place), fifth with four final fours is the United States (one silver, one bronze, two fourth place finishes) fifth with three is the Netherlands (two silver, one bronze), tied for sixth with two each are China (two fourth places) and Australia (one bronze), Italy (one bronze, one fourth) and tied for ninth with one final four each are Poland (one bronze medal) and Switzerland (one fourth place).

MEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE
Based on percentage, statistically, in men’s action after 12 events with 21 matches minimum, leading at 83.1% is Brazil’s Alison/Bruno (54-11) while second at 73.3% is USA’s Gibb/Patterson (33-12), third at 72.4% is Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen (42-16). Fourth at 72.0% is USA’s Nick Lucena/Theodore Brunner (36-14) and fifth at 71.4% is Netherlands’ Reinder Nummerdor/Christiaan Varenhorst (35-14).

Brazil’s Cerutti/Schmidt (54-11) have the most match wins with 54, Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen (42-16) duo second with 42, third with 37 wins is Brazil’s Evandro Goncalvegs/Pedro Solberg (37-20) while fourth with 36 is USA’s Lucena/Brunner (36-14), and fifth with 35 is Netherlands’ Nummerdor/Varenhorst (35-14).

WOMEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE
For the women to date, following 13 events on the 2015 FIVB calendar with a minimum of 23 matches, Brazilian tandems have three of the top five winning percentages. Brazil’s Larissa/Talita lead at 92.9% (52-4), Brazil’s Agatha/Barbara are second at 86.4% (57-9), followed at 74.0% by Brazil’s Taiana Lima/Fernanda Alves (37-13). USA’s Kerri Walsh Jennings/April Ross is fourth at 72.5% (29-11), fifth is Netherlands’ Meppelink/Van Iersel at 71.4% (40-16) and Canada’s Heather Bansley/Sarah Pavan is sixth at 71.0% (44-18).

Leading with the most match wins so far with 57 is Brazil’s Agatha/Barbara (57-9), second with 52 is Brazil’s Larissa/Talita (52-4) while third with 44 is Canada’s Bansley/Pavan (44-18). Fourth with 40 wins is Netherlands’ Meppelink/Van Iersel (40-16). Fifth with 39 is Brazil’s Antonelli/Juliana (39-18), sixth with 38 is Germany’s Chantal Laboureur/Julia Sude (38-25) and seventh with 37 wins is Brazil’s Lima/Alves (37-13).

ON THE HORIZON
After this week’s FIVB Sochi Open in Russia and prior to Fort Lauderdale, the FIVB World Tour will take a week off before holding its final event on the 2015 FIVB World Tour at the FIVB Xiamen Open (Sept. 22-27) in China. The 2016 FIVB World Tour with placement points counting in the FIVB Olympic Rankings for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will begin the week after the Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals at the double-gender $150,000 FIVB Puerto Vallarta Open (Oct. 5-11) in Mexico.

GROWING HISTORY
The FIVB Sochi Open will be the 327th men’s tournament since the FIVB began play in 1987 and the 291st FIVB women’s tournament since they started competition in 1992.

FIVB 2015
Based in Lausanne, Switzerland as the international governing body for the Olympic sports of Beach Volleyball and Volleyball, the 2015 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour calendar features a record purse of US$9.6 million with a season that extends from late April to mid-December competing at 20 venues in 15 countries. The schedule includes five FIVB Grand Slams, the new Swatch FIVB Major Series of four events, seven FIVB Opens and a special Swatch FIVB World Tour Season Final in the United States. A showcase event will be the $1 million 2015 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in the Netherlands.

The Olympic qualification process begins in 2015 with all FIVB World Tour events (except the Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals) in 2015 up until June 13, 2016 counting towards the Olympic Ranking in order to determine 15 spots for each gender that will take part in each 24-team field in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games on Copacabana Beach in Brazil.

FIVB WORLD TOUR PURSES
The FIVB Grand Slam and Swatch FIVB Major Series competitions, all double-gender each have $800,000 in total purses. The total purse FIVB World Championships the Netherlands 2015 was $1,000,000 and $500,000 will be the total for the Swatch FIVB World Tour Season Final which will feature the top eight teams in each gender and two wild card teams.

The 10 FIVB Open tournaments in 2015, eight double-gender, one men only and one women only, will 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 Open tournaments will 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 have returned as needed in 2015 to determine the final teams for the qualification tournament.

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