Lausanne, Switzerland, June 15, 2015 — With qualifications for placement into the 2016 Rio Olympic Games well underway, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) will see its 2015 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour in the United States this week in Florida with the US$800,000 FIVB St. Petersburg Grand Slam, the second of five double-gender events on the 2015 competition calendar. Last week the 2015 FIVB World Tour stop was held in Norway at the $800,000 Swatch FIVB Stavanger Major, the second of three events that are part of the new Swatch FIVB Major Series within the FIVB World Tour.
STAVANGER MENIn the men’s competition last week in Norway, winning the gold medal against another strong field with a 7-1 record was Brazil’s seventh-seeded Evandro Goncalves/Pedro Salgado to complete a Brazilian gold medal sweep. The Brazilian duo won the gold in straight sets over Poland’s Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak, 21-13, 21-14 in just 33 minutes. It was the 58th FIVB World Tour double-gender sweep for Brazil and was the second career FIVB World Tour gold medal for Goncalves and 15th for Salgado. Earning the bronze medal was Poland’s Gregorz Fijalek/Mariusz Prudel in straight sets over Italian brothers Matteo Ingrosso/Paolo Ingrosso, 21-13, 21-15 in 39 minutes, marking the first time in FIVB World Tour history that Poland captured two podium spots.
STAVANGER WOMENIn the women’s competition, Brazil’s defending FIVB World Tour point champions Maria Antonelli/Juliana Felisberta went 7-1 to win their first gold of the year and fourth straight by a Bazilian women’s team by defeating top-seeded compatriots Agatha Bednarczuk/Barbara Seixas, 21-16, 21-15 in 40 minutes. It was the 11th career FIVB World Tour gold medal for Antonelli and 47th career FIVB gold medal for Juliana. In the bronze medal match, Netherlands’ Madelein Meppelink/Marleen Van Iersel defeated Germany’s Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst in three sets, 21-17, 16-21 and 15-13 in 51 minutes.
MEN’S WINNERS SHARE
Last week’s Swatch FIVB Stavanger Major men’s champions Evandro Goncalves/Pedro Salgado of Brazil earned 800 points on the FIVB World Tour and picked up the gold medal purse of $57,000. Poland’s Fijalek/Prudel earned 720 valuable points in the FIVB World Tour Rankings as well as earning $43,000 in prize money.
WOMEN’S WINNERS ROLL
Last week’s Swatch FIVB Stavanger Major women’s champions Antonelli/Juliana of Brazil also earned 800 points on the FIVB World Tour and also picked up the gold medal purse of $57,000. Brazil’s runner-up duo Bednarczuk/Seixas earned 720 valuable points in the FIVB World Tour Rankings as well picking up the $43,000 purse to split from their silver medal placement.
MEN’S POINTS/EARNINGS
The top three teams in each gender at Swatch FIVB Major events receive 800, 720 and 640 points respectively on the 2015 FIVB World Tour. After five events, with one gold medal and two silver medals this year, Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen continue to lead the tour points with 2,5400 and are second in earnings with $101,000. Playing in just three of five events this year, Brazil’s Stavanger gold medal winners Goncalves/Salgado have moved up to second in points with 2,000 and lead the earnings parade with $117,000. In third with 1,700 points is Spain’s Adrian Gavira/Pablo Herrera and hird in earnings with $78,375 while fourth in both categories is Canada’s Josh Binstock/Sam Schachter duo with 1,600 and $58,575. Fifth in points is Brazil’s Emanuel Rego/Ricardo Santos with 1,440.
In the 2015 FIVB World Tour men’s season earnings, fifth behind Brazil’s Goncalves/Salgado, Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen, Spain’s Gavira/Herrera and Canada’s Binstock/Schachter with $54,000 is Poland’s Fijalek/Prudel.
WOMEN’S POINTS/EARNINGS
For the women, Canada’s Jamie Broder/Kristina Valjas tandem is at the top of the point list with 2,120 with Canada’s Heather Bansley/Sarah Pavan second with 2,110 points and third is now Brazil’s Bednarczuk/Seixas with 2,060 points.
In the 2015 FIVB World Tour women’s season earnings, leading is Brazil’s Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca with $114,000, second is Netherlands’ Meppelink/ Van Iersel with $87,000, third is Brazil’s Bednarczuk/Seixas with $82,000, fourth is Canada’s Bansley/Pavan with $75,375 and five is Brazil’s Antonelli/Juliana with $75,000.
MEN’S FINAL FOURS
In five men’s tournament so far in 2015 on the FIVB World Tour, 11 countries have at least one final four placement. Leading is the Netherlands with four final four placements (one gold medal, two silver medals, one fourth place). Tied with three final four placements each are Brazil (one gold, one silver, one fourth place) and Italy (one gold, one bronze, one fourth place). Tied with two final four placements each are Germany (one gold, one bronze) and Poland (one silver, one bronze) and with one each are Canada (one silver), France (one bronze), Switzerland (one fourth place), Spain (one gold), Turkey (one bronze) and the United States (one fourth place).
WOMEN’S FINAL FOURS
In six women’s event so far this year, seven countries have earned at least one final four finish. At the top with seven final four placements so far is Brazil (four gold, one silver, one bronze, one fourth place). Second with five is Canada (one gold medal, two silver, one bronze, one fourth place) while tied with three final fours are Germany (one gold, one silver, one fourth place) and the Netherlands (two silver, one bronze); China has two (two fourth places) and with one each are Australia (one bronze), Italy (one bronze), Switzerland (one fourth place) and the United States (one bronze).
MEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE
Based on percentage, statistically, in men’s action after five events, Italy’s Marco Caminati/Alex Ranghieri is at a perfect 100.0% winning percentage, with a 9-0 record in their one tournament. Second is Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen with a 26-6 record (81.3%) and third with their winning percentage this season at 75.0% is Netherlands’ Reinder Nummerdor/Christiaan Varenhorst (12-4) while fourth is Germany’s Jonathan Erdmann/Kay Matysik with a 11-4 record (73.3%) and tied for fifth with 15-6 records (71.4%) are Spain’s Gavira/Herrera and Brazil’s Goncalves/Salgado. Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen duo has the most match wins with 26 and the four teams tied second with 15 are Spain’s Gavira/Herrera, Brazil’s Goncalves/Salgado, USA’s Theo Brunner/Nick Lucena and Poland’s Kantor/Losiak.
WOMEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE
For the women to date, following six events on the 2015 FIVB World Tour, leading is a Brazilian triple. Brazil’s Talita/Larissa lead with a 13-1 record (92.9%) followed by Brazil’s Bednarczuk/Seixas with a 19-4 record (82.6%) and Brazil’s Eduarda Lisboa/Elize Maia with a 14-3 record (82.4%). Fourth is Germany’s Borger/Buthe with a 16-5 mark (76.2%) and fifth is Australia’s Louise Bawden/Taliqua Clancy with a 16-6 record (72.7%).
Canada’s Broder/Valjas tandem has the most match wins so far with 25 (25-13), second with 23 wins is Brazil’s Carolina Horta/Liliane Maestrini (23-14) are third is Germany’s Chantal Laboureur/Julia Sude with 22 wins (22-10).
ON THE HORIZON
Following this week’s second of five FIVB Grand Slam events on the 2015 FIVB calendar at the $800,000 FIVB St. Petersburg Grand Slam in the United States, the dynamic month of beach volleyball will conclude with the $1,000,000 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships The Netherlands (June 26-July 5) being anchored in The Hague with pool play and the first two rounds of single-elimination also being played in Amsterdam, Apeldoorn and Rotterdam.
GROWING HISTORY
The FIVB St. Petersburg Grand Slam is the 320th men’s tournament since the FIVB began play in 1987 and the 284th FIVB women’s tournament since they started competition in 1992.
FIVB 2015
Based in Lausanne, Switzerland as the international governing body for the Olympic sports of Beach Volleyball and Volleyball, the 2015 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour calendar features a record purse of US$9.6 million with a season that extends from late April to mid-December competing at 20 venues in 15 countries. The schedule includes five FIVB Grand Slams, the new Swatch FIVB Major Series of four events, seven FIVB Opens and a special Swatch FIVB World Tour Season Final in the United States. A showcase event will be the $1 million 2015 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in the Netherlands.
The Olympic qualification process begins in 2015 with all FIVB World Tour events (except the FIVB World Tour Finals) in 2015 up until June 13, 2016 counting towards the Olympic Ranking in order to determine 15 spots for each gender that will take part in each 24-team field in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil.
FIVB WORLD TOUR PURSES
The FIVB Grand Slam and Swatch FIVB Major Series competitions, all double-gender each have $800,000 in total purses. The total purse FIVB World Championships the Netherlands 2015 will be $1,000,000 and $500,000 total for the Swatch FIVB World Tour Season Final which will feature the top eight teams in each gender.
The 10 FIVB Open tournaments in 2015, seven double-gender, one men only and one women only, will have $150,000 total purses for the double gender events and $75,000 for the single-gender competitions. The gold medal teams in each gender at FIVB Open tournaments will each split $11,000, the silver $8,000, the bronze $6,000 and fourth place $4,500.
FIVB EVENT FORMAT
Implemented in 2013, the format of all the FIVB Beach Volleyball international tournaments – whether FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, FIVB Beach Volleyball Grand Slam or FIVB Beach Volleyball Open – are the same, featuring pool play followed by single elimination knockout rounds. Country Quota playoffs will return as needed in 2015 to determine the final teams for the qualification tournament.