Lausanne, Switzerland, October 4, 2020 – Five years ago today, the Brazilian pairs of Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt and Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca topped the podiums at the inaugural FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Finals on a sunny United States beach in south Florida.
The gold medal matches in Fort Lauderdale were preludes to coming attractions at the Rio 2016 Olympics as Alison and Bruno defeated Americans Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena in the men’s finale while Talita and Larissa defeated Germans Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst in the women’s title contest.
Ten months later on Copacabana, Alison and Bruno scored a three-set win over Dalhausser and Lucena in the Rio Olympic quarterfinals on August 13, 2016. The Brazilians posted two more victories in Rio by defeating Dutchmen Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen and Italians Daniele Lupo/Paolo Nicolai to win Olympic gold.
Two days after his gold medal performance in Fort Lauderdale with Alison, Bruno celebrated his 29th birthday. It was the 11th of 17 FIVB titles for Bruno as the Brazilian has captured 15 World Tour gold medals with three different partners. Bruno’s first two titles were an FIVB Beach Volleyball Under-21 World Championship in 2006 with Pedro Salgado and a Challenger gold with Joao Maciel here in 2007.
After losing to Talita and Larissa in Fort Lauderdale, Ludwig and Walkenhorst rebounded to defeat their Brazilians rivals in a Rio semifinal on August 16. The next night on Copacabana, the Germans captured gold by defeating Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas of Brazil in the Rio title match.
En route to winning the silver medal in Fort Lauderdale, Ludwig and Walkenhorst posted pool play and semifinal victories over Agatha and Barbara. In between the Fort Lauderdale and Copacabana wins, the Germans also defeated Barbara and Agatha for the gold medal at the Hamburg Major in June 2016.
Bruno, who turns 34 on Tuesday, joins five other beach Olympians celebrating birthdays this week, including Australian Sara Straton (50 on Tuesday), Brazilian Roberto Lopes (54 on Tuesday), the Czech Republic’s Sona Novakova (45 on Tuesday), Greek Efthalia Koutroumanidou (38 on Wednesday) and Mauritius’ Natacha Rigobert (40 on Wednesday).
A winner of 15 FIVB World Tour gold medals, Roberto Lopes competed in the Atlanta 1996 Olympics with Franco Neto as the pair finished ninth. Roberto Lopes' final gold medal on the World Tour came on his 30th birthday in 1996 in Jakarta.
Brazil's Roberto Lopes (left) and Franco Neto together at the Rio 2015 Open before an exhibition game.
Straton, who captured a World Tour bronze medal, placed 19th at the Sydney 2000 Olympics with Annette Huygens Tholen. Novakova placed ninth at both the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympics Games with Eva Celbova Rysava. The Czech pair also collected four bronze medals on the World Tour highlighted by a third place finish at the 2001 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Klagenfurt, Austria.
Koutroumanidou placed ninth at both the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympic Games with Vasiliki Arvaniti and Maria Tsiartsiani, respectively. Koutroumanidou collected two World Tour medals in her career in 2005 at events in Portugal (silver) and Bali (bronze) with Tsiartsiani.
Efthalia Koutroumanidou (right) and Maria Tsiartsiani of Greece scramble for the Mikasa at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Rigobert capped a five-season career on the FIVB World Tour by placing 19th at the London 2012 Olympic Games with Elodie Li Yuk Lo. The Mauritian also placed 37th at the 2011 FIVB World Championships in Rome.
Here is a review of gold medal finishes during the October 4-10 time period.
October 4
• In 2015, Alison and Bruno won the FIVB World Tour Finals in Fort Lauderdale. It was the seventh of 12 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2015, Talita and Larissa won the FIVB World Tour Finals. It was the 11th of 16 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2018, Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb of the United States won the Qinzhou Open. It was the first and only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
• In 2018, Rebecca Cavalcanti and Ana Patricia Silva of Brazil won the Qinzhou Open. It was the first of three FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
• In 2019, Nuttanon Inkiew and Sedtawat Padsawud of Thailand won the Bandar Torkaman Open. It was the second of two FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
The presenters with the men and women's medal winners at the 2018 Qinzhou Open.
October 5
• In 2018, Bahman Salemi and Arash Vakili of Iran won the Bandar Torkaman Open. It was the first and only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
Gold medals for Iran's Bhman Salemi (left) and Arash Vakili.
October 6
• In 1996, Roberto Lopes and Franco Neto won the Jakarta Open. It was the 13th and final FIVB World Tour win for the team.
• In 2002, Marcio Araujo and Benjamin Insfran of Brazil won the Fortaleza Open. It was the third of eight FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
Marcio Araujo (left) and Benjamin Insfran of Brazil after winning a trophy in 2011.
October 8
• In 1995, Holly McPeak and Nancy Reno of the United States won the Brisbane Open. It was the sixth of seven FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
Holly McPeak of the United States.
October 9
• In 2011, Reinder Nummerdor and Richard Schuil of the Netherlands won the Agadir Open. It was the seventh of nine FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
Post match interview for Dutchmen Reinder Nummerdor (centre) and Richard Schuil.