Lausanne, Switzerland, September 6, 2020 - This week in history is highlighted by the one-year anniversary of the playing of the 2019 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Finals in Rome where Russian and German pairs topped the podium along with the crowning of ten Age-Category World Championship teams that featured seven future Olympians.
On September 18, 2019, Viacheslav Krasilnikov and Oleg Stoyanovskiy built on the 2019 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship title won two months before in Germany as the Russian pair defeated Julius Thole and Clemens Wickler in a rematch of the men's finale. On July 7 in Hamburg at the World Championships, Krasilnikov and Stoyanovskiy posted a 2-1 (19-21, 21-17, 15-11) win in 72 minutes over the Germans.
Prior to Krasilnikov and Stoyanovskiy's 2-0 (21-16, 21-16) gold medal win in 45 minutes over Thole and Wickler in Rome, Margareta Kozuch and Laura Ludwig claimed the top spot on the 2019 World Tour Finals women's podium for Germany by posting a 2-0 (21-19, 21-17) win in 43 minutes over Agatha Bednarczuk and Eduarda "Duda" Lisboa of Brazil.
While Krasilnikov and Stoyanovskiy were collecting their fourth World Tour gold medal in 14 FIVB appearances, Kozuch and Ludwig were topping an international podium for the first time in 12 events as the German pair claimed their first medal together.
Beach volleyball Olympians winning Age-Category World Championships during the September 6-12 time period before participating in the Summers games were:
• Jonathan Erdmann of Germany (2006 Under-19 with Marvin Klass)
• Paolo Nicolai of Italy (2007 and 2008 Under-21s with Francesco Giontella)
• Marleen Van Iersel of the Netherlands (2008 Under-21 with Danielle Remmers)
• Becchara Palmer of Australia (2006 Under-19 with Alice Rohkamper)
• Martins Plavins of Latvia (2005 Under-21 with Aleksandrs Samoilovs)
• Aleksandrs Samoilovs of Latvia (2005 Under-21 with Martins Plavins)
• Barbara Seixas of Brazil (2007 Under-21 with Liliane Maestrini)
Other teams winning Age-Category World Championships during the September 6-12 timeframe were the Under-18s gold medals winners in 2004 - Arunas Kirsnys/Arvydas Miseikis of Lithuania and Katarzyna Urban/Joanna Wiatr of Poland. Carolina Salgado captured her second of two world titles as she teamed with Camilla Saldanha to win the 2005 Under-21 crown.
Ten beach volleyball Olympians have birthdays during the September 6-12 period starting with three-time Summer Games participate Clemens Doppler of Austria, who turns 40 today. Doppler placed ninth at the Beijing 2008 Olympics with Peter Gartmayer before finishing 19th and ninth at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Summers Games, respectively, with Alexander Horst.
Doppler, who has competed in the third-most international beach volleyball events (166) among European participants, and Horst captured the silver medal at the 2017 FIVB World Championships in Vienna. Doppler also qualified for the Athens 2004 Olympics with Niklas Berger but did not participate due to a knee injury.
2017 World Championship silver medal winners Alexander Horst (left) and Clemens Doppler of Austria.
Other Olympians with birthdays this week are American Barbara Fontana (55 on Tuesday) and Kevin Wong (48 on Saturday), Canadians Mark Dunn (55 on Wednesday) and Annie Martin (39 on Monday), Dutchman Reindeer Nummerdor (44 on Thursday), English woman Shauna Mullin (35 on Friday), Germans Susanne Lahme (52 on Thursday) and Ilka Semmler (35 on Tuesday), and Swiss Jefferson Bellaguarda (44 on Saturday).
Like Doppler, Nummerdor earned a silver medal at the 2015 FIVB World Championships in the Netherlands with Christian Varenhorst and was a three-time beach volleyball Olympian (2008, 2012 and 2016). Nummerdor also competed for the Dutch indoor volleyball team at the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympics.
Reinder Nummerdor (right) bumps the Mikasa at the Rio 2016 Olympics against Dutch rival Robert Meeuwsen.
Here is the list of gold medal winning teams during the September 6-12 timeframe.
September 6
In 2015, Samoilovs and Janis Smedins won the Rio Open. It was the fifth of 13 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2015, Talita Antunes and Larissa Franca of Brazil won the Rio Open. It was the 10th of 16 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
September 7
In 1997, Jan Kvalheim and Bjorn Maaseide of Norway won the Tenerife Open. It was the seventh and final FIVB World Tour win for the team.
In 2002, Shelda Bede and Adriana Behar of Brazil won the Mallorca Open. It was the 28th of 31 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2003, Jia Tian and Fei Wang of China won the Milan Open. It was the last of two FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2003, Marcio Araujo and Benjamin Insfran of Brazil won the Mallorca Open. It was the sixth of eight FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2008, Carolina and Maria Clara Salgado won the Myslowice Open. It was the first of two FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2008, Remmers and Van Iersel won the FIVB Under-21 World Championships. It was the only FIVB win for the team.
In 2008, Giontella and Nicolai won the FIVB Under-21 World Championships. It was the last of two FIVB wins for the team.
In 2008, Harley Marques and Pedro Solberg of Brazil won the Mallorca Open. It was the eighth of 10 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
2008 Under-21 world champions (left to right) are Francesco Giontella, Marleen Van Iersel, Danielle Remmers and Paolo Nicolai.
September 8
In 1996, Shelda and Adriana won the Puerto Rico Open. It was the first of 31 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 1996, Ze Marco de Melo and Emanuel Rego of Brazil won the Tenerife Open. It was the ninth of 15 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2002, Martin and Paul Laciga of Switzerland won the Mallorca Open. It was the fourth FIVB World Tour win for the team.
In 2007, Liliane and Barbara won the FIVB Under-21 World Championships at Modena, Italy. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
In 2019, Kozuch and Ludwig won the FIVB World Tour Finals in Rome. It was first and only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
In 2019, Krasilnikov and Stoyanovskiy won the FIVB World Tour Finals. It was the fourth of four FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
Paul (left) and Martin Laciga of Switzerland.
September 9
In 2007, Emanuel and Ricardo Santos won the Stare Jablonki Open. It was the 29th of 33 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2007, Giontella and Nicolai won the FIVB Under-21 World Championships in Modena. It was the first of two FIVB wins for the team.
In 2017, Jan Pokersnik and Nejc Zemljak of Slovenia won the Montpellier Open. It was the first and only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
Gold medal winners at the 2007 Under-21 World Championships in Italy were (left to right) Francesco Giontella, Barbara Seixas, Liliane Maestrini and Paolo Nicolai.
September 10
In 2005, Jorre Kjemperud and Tarjei Skarlund of Norway won the Madeira Challenger. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
In 2006, Palmer and Rohkamper won the FIVB Under-19 World Championships in Bermuda. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
In 2006, Erdmann and Klass won the FIVB Under-19 World Championships in Bermuda. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
German U19 world champions Marvin Klass (left) and Jonathan Erdmann.
September 11
In 2005, Camilla and Carolina won the FIVB Under-21 World Championships. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
In 2005, Plavins and Samoilovs won the FIVB Under-21 World Championships. It was the last of two FIVB wins for the team.
Martins Plavins (left) and Aleksandrs Samoilovs of Latvia at the 2005 Rio Under-21 World Championships.
September 12
In 2004, Kirsnys and Miseikis won the FIVB Under-18 World Championships at Termoli, Italy. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
In 2004, Urban and Wiatr won the FIVB Under-18 World Championships at Termoli. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
Poland's Joanna Wiatr (left) and Katarzyna Urban.