Lausanne, Switzerland, June 15, 2014—Getting things started off in truly grand fashion this past week in Moscow, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) will now move to another European capital city for the second three consecutive major events on the calendar of its 2014 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour this week at the US$800,000 FIVB Berlin smart Grand Slam.
Last week’s double-gender $800,000 FIVB Moscow Grand Slam saw host country Russia win the men’s gold medal, the USA win two medals and Brazil, the Netherlands and Poland one each to complete the podium in the second double-gender FIVB Grand Slam on the 2014 calendar. The FIVB Moscow Grand Slam was the sixth event of the 2014 FIVB World Tour as well as being the second of 10 double-gender FIVB Grand Slam tournaments currently on the 20014 calendar.
MOSCOW MEN
In the men’s competition in Moscow, winning the gold medal in a two-set finale was Russia’s Viacheslav Krasilnikov/Konstantin Semenov over Poland’s Grzegorz Fijalek/Mariusz Prudel while and the bronze medal match saw USA’s Phil Dalhausser/Sean Rosenthal hold off the comeback Italy’s Daniele Lup/Paolo Nicolai in three-set match to win the bronze. It was the first career gold medal for the Russia’s Krasilnikov/Semenov team and second individual gold for Semenov.
MOSCOW WOMEN
In a battle of the top two seeds for the women’s gold medal, second-seeded April Ross/Kerri Walsh Jennings of the United States overcame Brazil’s top-seeded defending FIVB World Tour point champion team and FIVB Season Rankings leader Talita Antunes/Tiaina Lima in three grueling sets. In the women’s bronze medal match, newly crowned European champions Medelein Meppelink/Marleen van Iersel of the Netherlands won the bronze by overcoming Spain’s Liliana Fernandez/Elsa Baquerizo in three close sets.
It was the 14th individual career gold medal for Ross, 48th individual career gold for Walsh Jennings and third for the duo as a team.
MEN’S CHAMPS MOVE UP
The FIVB Moscow Grand Slam men’s champions (Russia’s Krasilnikov/Semenov) were competing in their fourth event on the 2014 FIVB World Tour and moved up to third in season points and third in earnings.
WOMEN’S CHAMPS MOVE UP TOO
The FIVB Moscow Grand Slam women’s gold medal winners (USA’s Ross/Walsh Jennings) were competing in just their third event of the 2014 FIVB World Tour and moved up to fifth in the season point standings and first in the money standings.
Gold in this FIVB Grand Slam earns $57,000 for the winning team in each gender to split with $43,000 split by each silver medal team, $32,000 split by each of the two bronze medalists and $24,000 split by each of the fourth place teams.
SKED TRIFECTA
The 2014 FIVB World Tour is in the middle of three consecutive double-gender $800,000FIVB Grand Slams. After Moscow last week and Berlin this week, the tour moves to Stavanger, Norway (June 24-28).
MEN’S POINTS/MONEY
The top three teams in each gender receive 400, 360 and 320 points respectively at FIVB Grand Slam events on the 2014 FIVB World Tour.
Latvia’s Aleksandrs Samoilovs/Janis Smedins has 2,050 points to lead the men’s 2014 FIVB World Tour point standings followed by Italy’s Daniele Lupo/Paolo Nicolai with 1,890, Russia’s Semenov/Krasilnikov with 1,670, USA’s Dalhausser/Rosenthal with 1,360 and Brazil’s Emanuel Rego/Pedro Salgado fifth with 1,220 points.
In the FIVB World Tour men’s season earnings, leading is Italy’s Nicolai/Lupo with $92,000 followed by Latvia’s Samoilovs/J. Smedins with $75,500, Russia’s Krasilnikov/Semenov with $73,200, Polands Fijalek/Prudel with $54,000 and USA’s Dalhausser/Rosenthal with $51,000.
WOMEN’S POINTS
For the women, China’s Chen Xue/Xinyi Xia with 1,580 have moved to the top with 2,060 points followed by Brazil’s Juliana Felisberta/Maria Antonelli with 2,040 points, their Chinese compatriots Fan Wang/Yuan Yue with 1,980, Brazil’s Talita Antonelli/Taina Lima with 1,880 and USA’s Ross/Walsh Jennings fifth with 1,780.
In the FIVB World Tour women’s season earnings, leading is USA’s Ross/Walsh Jennings with $85,000 followed by Brazil’s Talita/Lima with $73,750, Germany’s Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst with $65,00, China’s Fan Wang/Yuan Yue with $62,175 and Brazil’s Agatha Bednarczuk/Barbara Seixas in fifth with $56,000.
MEN’S PODIUMS
In five men’s tournaments so far in 2014 on the FIVB World Tour 10 countries have at least one final four placement. Latvia has four final fours with two gold medals, one silver and one fourth while Italy also has four final four placements including two gold medals and one silver to lead the way. Brazil has two final fours (one silver, one fourth), Germany also has two final fours with one bronze and one fourth place finish as does Russia (one gold, one silver) and Switzerland (one bronze, one fourth). Netherlands, Mexico (bronze), Poland (silver) and the United States (bronze) have the other final four placements so far with one final four for each country.
WOMEN’S PODIUMS
In six women’s events to start the year, nine countries have earned at least one final four finish. Brazil leads with seven final four placements (one gold, three silvers, one bronze and two fourths), Germany has five final fours (two gold medals, one silver, one bronze and one fourth). China has three (one silver and two bronze), Russia has two (one silver, one bronze) as does Spain (two fourths) and the United States (two golds) while Austria (fourth), Czech Republic (gold) and the Netherlands (bronze) have one final four finish each.
MEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE
Based on percentage, statistically, in men’s action after five events, Italy’s Lupo/Nicolai is 18-4 (81.8% winning percentage) are tied with Germany’s Jonathan Erdmann/Kay Matysik at 9-2 (81.8%), Latvia’s Samoilovs/J. Smedins with a 21-5 record (80.8 percent) is next followed by USA’s Dalhausser/Rosenthal with a 13-4 record (76.5%). Tiedfor fifth are Brazil’s Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt and Latvia’s Plavins/Solovejs both with a 12-5 records (70.6%) and USA’s Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson is sixth with a 7-3 total (70.0%).
WOMEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE
For the women to date following six FIVB World Tour events, USA’s April Ross/Kerri Walsh Jennings is 18-1 to start the season (94.7%) while next is Germany’s Ludwig/Walkenhorst at 16-3 (84.2%) while third so far is Brazil’s Juliana Felisberta/Maria Antonelli with a 27-7 record (79.4%), while fourth is Brazil’s Talita Antunes/Taiana Lima with a 19-6 mark (76.0%). Tied for fifth is Brazil’s Bednarczuk/Seixas with a 18-6 record at 75.0% and Czech Republic’s Kristyna Kolocova/Marketa Slukova are also at 75.0% with their record of 12-4.