Lausanne, Switzerland, August 30, 2020 - This week in FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour history is highlighted by the completion of a five-event gold medal streak for Rio 2016 Olympic champions Alison Cerutti and Bruno Oscar Schmidt as the Brazilians posted a pair of match wins on August 30, 2015 in Poland over North American tandems to win an event in Olsztyn.
With victories over Ben Saxton/Chaim Schalk of Canada and Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson of the United States in Olsztyn, Alison and Bruno notched their sixth overall World Tour title. The Brazilians' five-event run started at the 2015 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in the Netherlands on July 5 and continued with gold medals in Switzerland (Gstaad, July 12), Japan (Yokohama, July 26) and the United States (Long Beach, August 23).
During the streak, Alison and Bruno won 36 of 38 matches and rebounded from pool play setbacks in Gstaad and Long Beach to win the titles. All five gold medal wins were over pairs that competed at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games highlighted by back-to-back wins in the Long Beach final four over teams that Alison and Bruno defeated in the quarters (Americans Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena) and semis (Dutchmen Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen) at the Rio Summer Games.
A total of 30 FIVB World Tour gold medals were awarded during the August 30-September 5 timeframe highlighted by eight junior World Championship presentations and the 2001 Goodwill Games in Australia where Brazilians Tatiana Minello/Sandra Pires and Jose Loiola/Ricardo Santos topped the Brisbane podiums on September 1.
Sandra Pires (left) and Tatiana Minello of Brazil celebrate at the 2001 Goodwill Games.
In the junior worlds, Germans swept the 2003 Under-18s in Thailand with the pairs of Jana Kohler/Laura Ludwig and Sebastian Fuchs/Thomas Kaczmarek winning the women’s and men’s gold medals, respectively, on August 31 in Pattaya. Thirteen years later Ludwig became an Olympic champion at Rio 2016 with Kira Walkenhorst as the pair also topped the 2017 World Championship podium in Vienna.
Nina Betschart captured back-to-back Under-21 World Championships in Canada with different Swiss partners in 2011 (September 4) and 2012 (September 2) in Halifax. Betschart captured the 2011 title with Joana Heidrich and the 2012 crown with Anouk Verge-Depre.
Heidrich and Verge-Depre, who competed in the Rio 2016 Olympics with Nadine Zumkehr and Isabelle Forrer, respectively, are now playing together with a World Tour title last season on Moscow. Betschart is now partnering with Tanja Hüberli as the Swiss tandem won their first FIVB gold medal two weeks ago in Baden, Austria.
Nina Betschart (left) and Joana Heidrich of Switzerland show off their gold medals at the 2011 FIVB Under-21 World Championships.
While Betschart was winning her Age-Category World Championship titles, the men’s under-21 crowns were captured in 2011 by the Ukraine’s Sergiy Popov/Valeriy Samoday with Poland’s Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak the 2012 gold medal winners. It was the second of three junior world titles for Kantor and Losiak, who competed in the Rio Olympics.
Olympians Sanne Keizer (London 2012) of the Netherlands and Pedro Solberg (Rio 2016) captured FIVB Under-18 World Championships in 2002 at Xylokastro, Greece. Keizer topped the podium with Arjanne Stevens and Solberg captured gold with Ian Borges on September 1.
Four Olympians will celebrate birthdays this week, including three-time Summer Games participants Jorre Kjemperud (52 Monday) of Norway and Simone Kuhn (40 Wednesday) of Switzerland. Kjemperud placed ninth at the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympics with Vegard Hoidalen and 19th with Tarjei Skarlund at the Beijing 2008 Summer Games.
Kjemperud competed in FIVB events for 19 seasons with seven different partners highlighted by a 1998 gold medal win in Berlin with Hoidalen and a Challenger title in 2005 with Skarlund at Porto Santo, Portugal. Kjemperud ranks third and 13th all-time, respectively, for FIVB events (206) and matches (725) played.
Special jersey celebrating 200th event for Norway's Jorre Kjemperud (left) and FIVB press delegate Tim Simmons.
After placing 19th in her first two Olympic appearances with Nicole Schnyder-Benoit (Athens 2004) and Lea Schwer (Beijing 2008), Kuhn finished ninth with Nadine Zumkehr at the London 2012 Summer Games in her last of 13 seasons of FIVB competition. Kuhn and Zumkehr captured Switzerland's first two women's World Tour gold medals in 2009 and 2012 at events in China (Sanya) and Italy (Rome).
Simone Kuhn of Switzerland celebrates a point at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Other Olympians with birthdays this week are Maurizio Pimponi (Sydney 2000. He is 49 on Tuesday) of Italy and Dax Holdren (Athens 2004. He is 48 on Friday) of the United States. Pimponi placed 19th at the Sydney 2000 Olympics with Andrea Raffaelli.
Holdren and Stein Metzger finished fifth in the Athens 2004 competition after winning the silver medal at the Rio 2003 World Championships on Copacabana. At both events, Holdren and Metzger lost matches to Athens Olympic gold medal winners Emanuel Rego/Ricardo Santos of Brazil.
Here are the FIVB gold medal winners for the August 30-September 5 period.
August 30
In 2008, Maria Antonelli and Vanilda Leao of Brazil won the Kristiansand Open. It was the last of three FIVB wins for the team.
In 2009, Reinder Nummerdor and Richard Schuil of the Netherlands won The Hague Open. It was the fifth of nine FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2015, Alison and Bruno won the Olsztyn Grand Slam. It was the sixth of 12 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
The 2009 gold medal winners at The Hague Open were Richard Schuil (left) and Reinder Nummerdor of the Netherlands.
August 31
In 2003, Kohler and Ludwig won the FIVB Under-18 World Championships at Pattaya, Thailand. It was the only FIVB win for the team.
In 2003, Fuchs and Kaczmarek won the FIVB Under-18 World Championships at Pattaya, Thailand. It was the only FIVB win for the team.
In 2008, Pablo Herrera and Raul Mesa of Spain won the Kristiansand Open. It was the only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
In 2019, Dirk Boehle and Stefan Boermans of the Netherlands won the Montpellier Open. It was the only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
Gold medal winners Pablo Herrera (left) and Raul Mesa of Spain with Norwegian girls in national dress.
September 1
In 2002, Borges and Solberg won the FIVB Under-18 World Championships at Xylokastro, Greece. It was the only FIVB win for the team.
In 2002, Keizer and Stevens won the FIVB Under-18 World Championships at Xylokastro, Greece. It was the only FIVB win for the team.
In 2007, Juliana Felisberta and Larissa Franca of Brazil won the St. Petersburg Open. It was the 19th of 45 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2018, Alexandra Jupiter and Lezana Placette of France won the Montpellier Open. It was the only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
In 2018, Olivier Barthelemy and Edouard Rowlandson of France won the Montpellier Open. It was the only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
In 2019, Anders Mol and Nils Ringoen of Norway won the Oslo Open. It was the only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
Historical moment as Lezana Placette (left) and Alexandra Jupiter become the first women's team from France to win an FIVB World Tour event.
September 2
In 2001, Jennifer Kessy and Heather Lowe of the United States won the Pattaya Challenger. It was the only FIVB win for the team.
In 2007, Anders Lund Hoyer and Bo Soderberg of Denver won the Milan Challenger. It was the only FIVB win for the team.
In 2007, Harley Marques and Solberg won the St. Petersburg Open. It was the third of 10 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2012, Katrin Holtwick and Ilka Semmler of Germany won the Aland Open. It was the third of four FIVB wins for the team.
In 2012, Betschart and Verge-Depre won the FIVB Under-21 World Championships at Halifax, Canada. It was the only FIVB win for team.
In 2012, Kantor and Losiak won the FIVB Under-21 World Championships at Halifax, Canada. It was the second of five FIVB wins for team.
Bartosz Losiak (left) and Piotr Kantor of Poland after winning the 2012 Under-21 world title.
September 3
In 1995, Ze Marco de Melo and Emanuel won the Tenerife Open. It was the third of 15 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2000, Markus Egger and Sascha Heyer of Switzerland won the Pfaeffikon Satellite. It was the only FIVB win for the team.
In 2005, Talita Antunes and Renata Ribeiro of Brazil won the Athens Open. It was the first of five FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2006, Florian Gosch and Alexander Huber of Austria won the Cagliari Challenger. It was the only FIVB win for the team.
In 2006, Jia Tian and Jie Wang of China won the Warsaw Open. It was the second of four FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
Interview with Jia Tian, winner of the 2006 Warsaw Open.
September 4
In 1994, Roberto Lopes and Franco Neto of Brazil won the Fortaleza Open. It was the third of 13 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2001, Loiola and Ricardo won the Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia. It was the second of five FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2001, Minello and Sandra won the Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia. It was the only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
In 2005, Emanuel and Ricardo won the Athens Open. It was the 16th of 33 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2011, Betschart and Heidrich won the FIVB Under-21 World Championships at Halifax, Canada. It was the only FIVB win for team.
In 2011, Popov and Samoday won the FIVB Under-21 World Championships at Halifax, Canada. It was the second of two FIVB wins for team.
Sergiy Popov (left) and Valeriy Samoday of the Ukraine pose with their gold medals at the 2011 Under-21 World Championships.
September 5
In 2004, Shelda Bede and Adriana Behar of Brazil won the Milan Open. It was the 31st and final FIVB World Tour win for the team.
Legendary Brazilians and two-time Olympic silver medal winners Shelda Bede (left) and Adriana Behar at the Rio 2016 Summer Games.