Lausanne, Switzerland, August 16, 2020 - This week in FIVB beach volleyball history is highlighted by memorable moments for Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers as the Americans posted milestones on August 22 in 2008 and 2010.
Dalhausser and Rogers
During the August 16-22 time period, four Olympic crowns were awarded to pairs from Brazil, Germany and the United States. Dalhausser and Rogers' three-set win over Brazilian 2005 world champions Marcio Araujo andFabio Luiz Magalhaes on August 22, 2008 completed a sweep of the gold medals for their country at the Beijing Summer Games.
A day earlier, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings became the first and only men’s or women’s team to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals. The 2008 Summer Games win also validated May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings’ 2005 and 2007 World Championship titles by defeating Jia Tian and Jie Wang of China in the two-set Beijing finale.
Two years after claiming the Beijing 2008 Olympic gold, Dalhausser and Rogers posted their second August 22 milestone by setting a FIVB record by winning nine World Tour events in a single season by defeating Marcio Araujo and Ricardo Santos in a three-set title match in Åland, Finland. The previous record of eight titles in a year was set in 2008 by Brazilians Juliana Felisberta and Larissa Franca.
Brazilian Ricardo Santos (left) blocking against American Todd Rogers at the 2010 Åland Open.
The August 22 Åland gold medal win also marked the 24th straight victory for Dalhausser and Rogers in their final 2010 World Tour appearance. The Americans started the 2011 campaign with 17 consecutive wins to extend their record match-winning streak to 41. The string of match successes was ended on the 22nd of May by Alison Cerutti and Emanuel Rego of Brazil in a gold medal match at Prague, Czech Republic.
Almost six years after Dalhausser and Rogers' win in Åland, Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst secured Germany's second-straight Olympic medal by defeating Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas of Brazil in the August 17 finale at the Rio 2016 Summer Games. Four years earlier in London, Julius Brink and Jonas Reckermann claimed Germany's first Summer Games gold at the 2012 Olympics by defeating Alison and Emanuel in the finals.
Rio 2016 Olympic Games medallists Daniele Lupo and Paolo Nicolai of Italy (left), Alison Cerutti and Bruno Oscar Schmidt of Brazil (centre) and Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen of the Netherlands (right).
The next day following the Ludwig/Walkenhorst Copacabana win, Alison and Bruno Oscar Schmidt captured Brazil's third Olympic gold medal by defeating Italians Daniele Lupo and Paolo Nicolai in two sets. Sandra Pires and Jackie Silva claimed Brazil's first Olympic title at the Atlanta 1996 Games with Emanuel and Ricardo the Athens 2004 competition.
49 World Tour events
A total of 49 FIVB-sanctioned beach events were held during the August 16-22 period along with the 2018 World Tour Finals in Germany where the pairs of Agatha/Eduarda "Duda" Lisboa and Anders Mol/Christian Sorum of Norway topped the Hamburg podiums along with each collecting the $100,000 first-place prizes.
Teams from 15 countries won gold medals during the August 16-22 timeframe with seven teams securing multiple titles led by Switzerland’s Patrick Heuscher and Stefan Kobel’s three Challenger titles in 2000 and 2003 at Lausanne and 2006 in Vaduz, Liechtenstein.
Birthdays for nine Olympians
Nine Olympians celebrate birthdays this week including Andre Loyola Stein, who captured the 2017 FIVB World Championship trophy in Vienna for Brazil with Evandro Goncalves. Andre turns 26 on Wednesday (August 19) and has recently competed on the FIVB World Tour with George Wanderley.
Atlanta 1996 silver medal winner Mike Dodd celebrates his 63rd on Thursday along with Sydney 2000 Canadian Olympian Jody Holden, who turns 52. Dodd and Mike Whitemarsh dropped the Atlanta 1996 Olympic finale to American rivals Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes. Holden and Conrad Leinemann placed ninth in Sydney after winning the 1998 PanAm gold medal on home sand in Winnipeg.
Atlanta 1996 Olympic medal winners (left to right) are Mike Dodd, Karch Kiraly, Kent Steffes and Mike Whitmarsh.
Five Olympians celebrate birthdays today (August 16) led by 2019 world champion and Rio 2016 Summer Games quarterfinalists Sarah Pavan of Canada, who is now 34. Pavan placed fifth on Copacabana with Heather Bansley after being eliminated by Ludwig and Walkenhorst.
Other birthday celebrators today are American Carl Henkel (51), Australian Tania Gooley (47), Austrian Florian Gosch (40) and Italian Marta Menegatti (30). Both Gosch (Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008) and Menegatti (London 2012 and Rio 2016) are two-time Olympians. Henkel competed in the inaugural Olympian beach volleyball competing in Atlanta with Sinjin Smith while Gooley was paired with Pauline Manser on home sand in Sydney.
Florian Gosch (right) of Austria against Brazilian Fabio Luix Magalhaes at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
German Sydney 2000 Summer Games participant Oliver Oetke, who placed 19th on Bondi Beach with Andreas Scheuerpflug, turns 52 Tuesday. Russian Serguey Prokopyev, who turns 34 Friday, placed ninth at the London 2012 Olympics with Konstantin Semenov with a pool place setback to eventual gold medal winners Julius Brink and Jonas Reckermann of Germany.
Here are the gold medal winners from August 16-22.
August 16
In 1998, Joao Brenha and Miguel Maia of Portugal won the Ostende Open. It was the first of two FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 1998, Shelda Bede and Adriana Behar of Brazil won the Dalian Open. It was the ninth of 31 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 1998, Jan Ferreira and Fred Souza of Brazil won the Lausanne Challenger. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
In 1998, Danalee Bragado-Corso and Gracie Santana-Baeni of the United States won the Jona Satellite. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
In 2009, Dmitri Barsouk and Igor Kolodinsky of Russia won the Kristiansand Open. It was the last of two FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
The Kristiansand Open podium featured (left to right) Aleksandrs Samoilovs, Ruslans Sorokins, Igor Kolodinsky, Dmitri Barsouk, Harley Marques and Alison Cerutti.August 17
In 1997, Ze Marco de Melo and Emanuel won the Ostende Open. It was the 14th of 15 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 1997, Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak of the United States won the Pusan Open. It was the third and final FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2003, Rebekka Kadijk and Marrit Leenstra of the Netherlands won the Lianyungang Open. It was the first and only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
In 2003, Patrick Heuscher and Stefan Kobel of Switzerland won the Lausanne Satellite. It was the third of eight FIVB wins for the team.
In 2016, Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst of Germany won the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. It was the eighth of 11 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
Rebekka Kadijk (left) and Marrit Leenstra of the Netherlands.
August 18
In 1996, Sandra and Jackie of Brazil won the Ostende Open. It was the 10th of 12 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 1996, Rogerio Dias and Mario Rodrigues of Portugal won the FIVB Belgium Challenger. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
In 2002, May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings won the Maoming Open. It was the sixth of 40 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2002, Mariano Baracetti and Martin Conde of Argentina won the Lausanne Satellite. It was the fifth of six FIVB wins for the team.
In 2007, Juliana Felisberta and Larissa Franca of Brazil won the Åland Open. It was the 18th of 45 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2012, Juliana and Larissa won the Stare Jablonki Grand Slam. It was the 45th and final FIVB World Tour win for the team.
In 2016, Alison and Bruno won the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. It was the 12th and final FIVB World Tour win for the team.
In 2018, Mol and Sorum of Norway won the FIVB World Tour Finals in Hamburg. It was the third of 10 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2019, Aleksandrs Samoilovs and Janis Smedins of Latvia won the Moscow Open. It was the 12th of 13 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2019, Joana Heidrich and Anouk Vergé-Dépré of Switzerland won the Moscow Open. It was the first and only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
In 2019, Timothee Platre and Jeremy Silvestre of France won the Knokke-Heist Open. It was the first and only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
In 2019, Andrea and Claudia "Gorda" Galindo of Colombia won the Knokke-Heist Open. It was the first and only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
Andrea (left) and Claudia Galindo of Colombia.
August 19
In 1995, Ze Marco and Emanuel won the Ostende Open. It was the second of 15 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2001, Shelda and Adriana won the Maoming Open. It was the 24th of 31 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2001, Thomas Klepper and Murilo Toscano of Brazil won the Lausanne Satellite. It was the third and final FIVB win for the team.
In 2006, Katrin Holtwick and Ilka Semmler of Germany won the Vaduz Satellite. It was the first of four FIVB wins for the team.
In 2006, Inese Jursone and Inguna Minusa of Latvia won the Turku Satellite. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
In 2007, Harley Marques and Pedro Solberg of Brazil won the Åland Open. It was the second of 10 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2007, Vivian Cunha and Angela Lavalle of Brazil won the Beijing Challenger. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
In 2007, Joao Maciel and Bruno won the Lausanne Satellite. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
In 2012, Martins Plavins and Smedins won the Stare Jablonki Grand Slam. It was the first and only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
In 2018, Agatha and Duda won the FIVB World Tour Finals in Hamburg. It was the third of five FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
August 20
In 2000, Heuscher and Kobel won the Lausanne Satellite. It was the second of eight FIVB wins for the team.
In 2005, Lina and Petia Yanchulova of Bulgaria won the Liechtenstein Satellite. It was the third and last FIVB win for the team.
In 2006, Heuscher and Kobel won the Vaduz Satellite. It was the eighth and final FIVB win for the team.
In 2011, Chen Xue and Xi Zhang of China won the Åland Open. It was the eighth of 15 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
Gold medallists at the Åland Open are China's Xi Zhang (left) and Chen Xue (centre).
August 21
In 1994, Roberto Lopes and Paulao Moreira of Brazil won the Puerto Rico Open. It was the second and final FIVB World win for the team.
In 1994, Gail Castro Kehl and Elaine Roque of the United States won the FIVB Puerto Rico Open. It was the first and only FIVB World Tour win for the team.
In 2005, Ethel-Julie Arjona and Virginie Kadjo of France won the Le Lavandou Satellite. It was the second and final FIVB win for the team.
In 2005, Markus Egger and Martin Laciga of Switzerland won the Liechtenstein Satellite. It was the second and final FIVB win for the team.
In 2005, Bruno de Paula and Rodrigo Monteiro of Brazil won the Le Lavandou Satellite. It was the second of two FIVB wins for the team.
In 2008, May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings won the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. It was the 35th of 40 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2010, Xue and Zhang won the Åland Open. It was the sixth of 15 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2011, Marcio Araujo and Benjamin Insfran of Brazil won the Åland Open. It was the eighth and final FIVB World Tour win for the team.
Gold medallists at the Åland Open are Brazilians Marcio Araujo (left) and Benjamin Insfran (centre).
August 22
In 1999, Ze Marco and Ricardo won the Tenerife Open. It was the fifth of 11 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2004, Kevin Ces and Fabien Dugrip of France won the Corsica Satellite. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
In 2004, Katerina and Marketa Tychnova of the Czech Republic won the Corsica Satellite. It was the first and only FIVB win for the team.
In 2008, Dalhausser and Rogers won the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. It was the sixth of 23 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
In 2010, Dalhausser and Rogers won the Åland Open. It was the 17th of 23 FIVB World Tour wins for the team.
Kevin Ces of France.