Lausanne, Switzerland, July 19, 2020 – For a nine-season period (1998-2006), men's teams from Switzerland won the second most gold medals on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour with two appearances in the finals of the World Championships as pairs from the European country bested duos from beach volleyball power United States by one in each category.
But for the next 12 seasons (2007-2018), the Swiss men failed to accomplish either feat before Marco Krattiger and Nico Beeler stopped the gold medal drought by capturing the 2019 Edmonton event by defeating home-standing Canadians Ben Saxton and Grant O’Gorman 2-1 (21-15, 23-25, 15-8) in a July 21 final.
Combined with a home victory for newly-crowned women's world champions Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan, the win by the Swiss pair highlighted this week in FIVB beach volleyball history for the week of July 19-25.
Prior to Krattiger and Beeler's podium-topping performance in Edmonton, the last gold medal for the Swiss men was in 2006 when Athens 2004 bronze medal winners Patrick Heuscher and Stefan Kobel secured a gold medal at Roseto degli Abruzzi, Italy, in June 2006.
During the 1998-2006 stretch, Heuscher and Kobel captured three of the Swiss gold medals with the Laciga brothers (Martin and Paul) leading the way with five gold medals. Martin Laciga claimed a sixth gold medal for the Swiss by winning a 2005 event in Poland with Markus Egger at Stare Jablonki.
Markus Egger (left) and Nico Beeler of Switzerland at a 2016 event.
Fifteen days after winning the World Championship trophy in Hamburg, Germany, Humana-Parades and Pavan collected their fourth of five FIVB gold medals by posting 2-0 (21-11, 21-16) win in 31 minutes over Emily Day and Betsi Flint of the United States. Sixteen days later, the Canadians won their third gold medal of 2019 by claiming the Vienna Major title.
Six Olympians celebrate birthdays during the July 19-25 timeframe, including London 2012 Summer Games bronze medal winner Juliana Felisberta of Brazil. A winner of 48 FIVB World Tour gold medals, including a record 45 team wins with Larissa Franca, Juliana turns 37 on Wednesday.
Other Olympians celebrating birthdays this week are Alexander Huber (35, Saturday), Jorge "Gia" Terceiro (44, Sunday) of Georgia, Sander Mulder (51, Sunday) of the Netherlands, Sascha Heyer (48, Tuesday) of Switzerland, Ingrid Torlen (41, Tuesday) of Norway.
Sascha Heyer of Switzerland
Both Heyer and Torlen were two-time Olympians. Heyer placed 17th with Heuscher at Beijing 2008 and ninth with Sebastian Chevallier at London 2012. Torlen competed in both the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Summer Games with Nila Ann Hakedal as the pair placed 19th and ninth, respectively.
Ingrid Torlen of Norway
Terceiro on the other hand placed fourth at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games with Renato "Geor" Gomes as the native Brazilians upset Reindeer Nummerdor and Richard Schuil of the Netherlands in the quarterfinals before losing to Americans Phil Dalhausser/Todd Rogers and Brazilians Emanuel Rego/Ricardo Santos in the medal rounds.
Jorge "Gia" Terceiro of Georgia celebrating a Beijing 2008 Olympic quarterfinal win
Huber and Robin Seidl for their part posted an upset pool play win Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson of the United States in the Rio 2016 Olympics before finishing ninth after being eliminated by Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena.
Mulder and Michel Everaert placed 17th in the Atlanta 1996 Summer Games.
Sander Mulder of the Netherlands
In addition to the Edmonton golds, another 42 podium topping performances were completed during July 19-25 time period for FIVB World Tour events along with 12 Challenger/Satellite and two Age-Category World Championship events.
Brazilian pairs captured 23 gold medals during this week in international beach volleyball history highlighted by World Championship trophies in 1999 by Shelda Bede/Adriana Behar and Jose Loiola/Emanuel Rego at Marseille, France.
On July 24, 1999, Shelda and Adriana posted a 15-11 sideout scoring win in 30 minutes over Americans Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan to win their first of two World Championship titles. Two years later in Austria, Shelda and Adriana topped the World Championship podium in Klagenfurt.
Shelda Bede (left) and Andre Behar of Brazil at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Emanuel captured his first of three World Championship gold medals on July 25, 1999 as he and Loiola bested the Laciga brothers 15-8 in the 50-minute finale. Earlier in the Marseille competition where double-elimination bracket play was held, Emanuel and Loiola dropped a match to compatriots Rogerio 'Para' Ferreira and Guilherme Marques, the 1997 FIVB world champions.
Other world champion titles for Emanuel were in October 2003 with Ricardo Santos in Rio de Janeiro and June 2011 with Alison Cerutti in Rome. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings are the only other players with three Beach Volleyball World Championships to their credit as the Americans teamed for titles in 2003, 2005 (Berlin) and 2007 (Gstaad).
Three-time world champion Emanuel Rego of Brazil
This week in 2014, the FIVB Under-17 World Championships were held in Acapulco where Florian Breer/Yves Haussener of Switzerland and Morgan Martin/Kathryn Plummer of the United States topped the podiums on July 20.
2014 Under-17 women's podium featured (left to right) Joy Dennis, Haley Hallgren, Morgan Martin, Kathryn Plummer, Linda Gramberga and Tina Graudina
Here is the list of FIVB event winners during the July 19-25 time frame:
July 19
•In 1998, Para and Guilherme won the Lignano Open. It was the fourth of seven FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
•In 2009, Julius Brink and Jonas Reckermann of Germany won the Moscow Grand Slam. It was the fifth of eight FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
With Brazilian Ricardo Santos (left) smiling, Germans Julius Brink (centre) and Jonas Reckermann play their balalaikas
July 20
•In 1997, Martin Conde and Eduardo Martinez of Argentina won the Lignano Open. It was the second of three FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
•In 2002, Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs of the United States won the Marseille Grand Slam. It was the third of six FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
•In 2003, Emanuel and Ricardo won the Marseille Grand Slam. It was the second of 33 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
•In 2003, Misty May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings won the Marseille Grand Slam. It was one of 40 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
•In 2008, Alison and Bernardo Romano won the Pärnu Challenger. It was the third of three FIVB wins for the team.
•In 2008, Jarunee Sannok and Usa Tenpaksee of Thailand won the Chennai Challenger. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
•In 2008, Luizao Correa and Thomas Klepper of Brazil won the Chennai Challenger. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
•In 2008, Marcio Araujo and Fabio Luiz Magalhaes of Brazil won the Marseille Grand Slam. It was the 11th and final FIVB World Tour win for the team.
• In 2008, Stephanie Pohl and Okka Rau of Germany won the Marseille Grand Slam. It was the first and only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
• In 2014, Fernanda Alves and Taiana Lima of Brazil won The Hague Grand Slam. It was the first and only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
• In 2014, Breer and Haussener won the FIVB Under-17 World Championships at Acapulco. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
• In 2014, Grzegorz Fijalek and Mariusz Prudel of Poland won The Hague Grand Slam. It was the first and only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
• In 2014, Martin and Plummer won the FIVB Under-17 World Championships at Acapulco. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
• In 2019, Svetlana Kholomina and Nadezda Makroguzova of Russia won the Espinho Open. It was the second of two FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
2014 Under-17 men's podium featured (left to right) Oscar Jimenez, Alejandro Huerta, Florian Breer, Yves Haussener, Marc Darrieux and Timothee Platre
July 21
• In 1991, Al Janc and Tim Walmer of the United States won the Yokohoma Open. It was the first and only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
• In 2002, Loiola and Ricardo won the Marseille Grand Slam. It was the fourth of five FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2007, Talita Antunes and Renata Ribeiro of Brazil won the Marseille Grand Slam. It was the fourth of five FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2019, Alison and Alvaro Filho won the Espinho Open. It was the second of two FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2019, Humana-Paredes and Pavan won the Edmonton Open. It was the fifth of six FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2019, Beeler and Krattiger won the Edmonton Open. It was the first and only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
July 22
• In 1995, McPeak and Nancy Reno won the Pusan Open. It was the second of seven FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2000, Davis and Johnson Jordan won the Marseille Open. It was the second and final FIVB World Tour win for the team.
• In 2001, Barbra Fontana and Youngs won the Marseille Grand Slam. It was the second and final FIVB World Tour win for the team.
• In 2001, Mariano Baracetti and Conde won the Marseille Grand Slam. It was the second of four FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2006, Juliana and Larissa won the St. Petersburg Open. It was the 11th of 45 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2007, Maria Antonelli and Vanilda Leao of Brazil won the Eboli Challenger. It was the first of three FIVB wins for the team.
• In 2007, Pedro Cunha and Franco Neto of Brazil won the Marseille Grand Slam. It was first and only FIVB win for the team.
• In 2012, Ekaterina Birlova and Evgeniya Ukolova won the Klagenfurt Grand Slam. It was the first of two FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2012, Nummerdor and Schuil won the Klagenfurt Grand Slam. It was the ninth and final FIVB World Tour win for the team.
• In 2017, Flint and Kelley Larsen won the Ulsan Open. It was the second and final FIVB World Tour win for the team.
• In 2018, Day and Flint won the Haiyang Open. It was the first and only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
• In 2018, Nai-Han Kou and Pi Hsin Liu of Chinese Taipei won the Ulsan Open. It was the first of three FIB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2018, Seidl and Philipp Waller won the Haiyang Open. It was the first and only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
July 23
• In 2000, Ze Marco de Melo and Ricardo won the Marseille Open. It was the 10th of 11 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2006, Marcio Araujo and Fabio Luiz won the St. Petersburg Open. It was the sixth of 11 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2017, Markus Bockermann and Lars Fluggen of Germany won the Olsztyn Open. It was the third and final FIVB World Tour win for the team.
• In 2017, Nicole Eiholzer and Dunja Gerson of Switzerland won the Agadir Open. It was the first and only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
• In 2017, Quincy Aye and Youssef Krou of France won the Agadir Open. It was the first and only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
• In 2017, Talita and Larissa won the Olsztyn Open. It was the 16th and final FIVB World Tour win for the team.
Frenchmen Youssef Krou (left) and Quincy Aye (right) with friend after winning 2017 Agadir Open
July 24
• In 1999, Shelda and Adriana won the FIVB World Championships at Marseille. It was the 12th of 31 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2004, Pedro Brazao and Marcello Duarte of Brazil won the San Marino Satellite. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
• In 2005, Bruno de Paula and Rodrigo Monteiro of Brazil won the St. Jean de Monts Satellite. It was the first of two FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2005, Eugenio Amore and Riccardo Fenili of Italy won the Alba Adriatica Satellite. It was the first of three FIVB wins for the team.
• In 2005, Giorgio Domenghini and Diego Nota of Italy won the Casablanca Satellite. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
• In 2005, Lina and Petia Yanchulova of Bulgaria won the St. Jean de Monts Satellite. It was the second of three FIVB wins for the team.
• In 2005, Markus Egger and Martin Laciga won the Stare Jablonki Open. It was the first of two FIVB wins for the team.
• In 2005, Tereza Petrova and Hana Skalnikova of the Czech Republic won the Alba Adriatica Satellite. It was the first of two FIVB wins for the team.
• In 2011, Antonelli and Talita won the Québec Open. It was the seventh of eight FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2011, Dalhausser and Rogers won the Québec Open. It was the 20th of 23 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
Brazilians Maria Antonelli (left) and Talita Antunes on Québec Open podium
July 25
• In 1998, Pires and Adriana Samuel of Brazil won the Marseille Open. It was the second and final FIVB World Tour win for the team.
• In 1999, Loiola and Emanuel won the FIVB World Championships in Marseille. It was the eighth of FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2004, Emanuel and Ricardo won the Stare Jablonki Open. It was the 10th of 33 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2004, Domenghini and Paolo Ficosecco of Italy won the Casablanca Satellite. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
• In 2004, Marie-Andree Lessard and Sarah Maxwell of Canada won the Cagliari Challenger. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
• In 2010, Antonelli and Talita won the Marseille Grand Slam. It was the fifth of eight FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2010, Penggen Wu and Linyin Xu of China won the Marseille Grand Slam. It was the second of two FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
2010 Marseille podium with Austrians, Brazilians, Chinese, Latvians and Polish players