2016 FIVB World Tour update after FIVB Cincinnati Open

Lausanne, Switzerland, May 23, 2016 — After going to the United States for the first time this year, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) now heads from the USA back to Russia. With the qualifying process for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games concluding after the next two events, the 2016 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour is playing the eighth of eight straight tournaments with this week’s double-gender $8000,000 FIVB Moscow Grand Slam. The event is being held through Sunday at the Vodny Stadium Beach Sports Centre.

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Last week saw a team from Brazil win the men’s gold medal and a team from the United States win the women’s gold medal at the $150,000 FIVB Cincinnati Open, presented by AVP, in Mason, Ohio. It was the 14th men’s event and 11th women’s event on the 2016 FIVB World Tour. All of the remaining events on the 2016 FIVB World Tour calendar are double gender events.

CINCINNATI MEN
In the men’s competition this past week in Cincinnati, winning the gold medal with a spotless 7-0 record was Brazil’s 13th-seeded young lions Gustavo ‘Guto’ Carvalhaes/Saymon Barbosa who stunned another higher-seeded team, winning the gold medal over Canada’s seventh-seeded Josh Binstock/Sam Schachter in straight sets, 22-20, 21-8 in 33 minutes. For Brazil’s youthful Guto/Saymon, both just 22 years old, it was their first FIVB gold medal after already earning two bronze medals in just eight career FIVB World Tour events.

In the men’s bronze medal match in Cincinnati, winning was USA’s second-seeded Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena who won an all-American battle with 10th-seeded compatriots Ryan Doherty/John Mayer in straight sets, 21-15, 21-16 in 33 minutes. For USA’s Dalhausser/Lucena, playing in their 13th FIVB World Tour event as a team, it was their first bronze medal to go along with four gold medals and four silver medals.

In the Cincinnati men’s semifinals, Brazil’s Guto/Saymon stopped USA’s Doherty/Mayer in two sets, 21-19, 21-16 in 34 minutes and Canada’s Binstock/Schachter advanced to the gold medal match by upsetting USA’s Dalhausser/Lucena in three sets, 21-17, 10-21 and 15-12 in 45 minutes.

CINCINNATI WOMEN
In the women’s competition at the FIVB Cincinnati Open, USA’s top-seeded Olympians Kerri Walsh Jennings/April Ross compiled a perfect 7-0 record as they came back to defeat their friendly rivals and off-season training partners in China’s 13th-seeded Chen Xue/Xinyi Xia, 20-22, 21-14 and 18-16 in in 66 spectacular minutes, the longest women’s match of the entire tournament. In their 25th FIVB World Tour event as a team,

USA’s Walsh Jennings/A. Ross now have earned nine gold medals, two silver medals, two bronze medals and one fourth place finish. Individually, three-time Olympic champion Walsh Jennings now has 53 career FIVB World Tour gold medals in 111 events and A. Ross has 19 career FIVB World Tour gold medals in 111 tournaments. For China’s Xue/Xia, it was their 20th FIVB World Tour event as a team with two gold medals, one silver medal and two bronze medals. Xue, a bronze medalist in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games (with Xi Zhang) and fourth in the London 2012 Olympic Games (with Zhang), has 17 career FIVB World Tour gold medals in 121 tournaments and Xia, just 19 years old, has the two she won with Xue.

In the women’s bronze medal match in Cincinnati, Spain’s fourth-seeded Liliana Fernandez/Elsa Baquerizo defeated Netherlands’ 11tth-seeded Sophie van Gestel/Jantine van der Vlist, 21-17, 21-18 in 36 minutes.

To reach the women’s gold medal match in Cincinnati, in their respective semifinals, USA’s Walsh Jennings/A. Ross defeated Spain’s Fernandez/Baquerizo, 21-14, 21-16 in 33 minutes and China’s Xue/Xia beat Netherlands’ van Gestel/van der Vlist, 21-19, 21-17 in 35 minutes.

MEN’S WINNERS SHARE
Last week’s FIVB Cincinnati Open men’s champions Guto/Saymon of Brazil picked up the FIVB Open gold medal purse of $11,000. Canada’s runner-up Binstock/Schachter earned $8,000 in prize money while USA’s bronze medalists Dalhausser/Lucena earned $6,000 and USA’s Doherty/Mayer received $4,500 in prize money for their fourth place finish.

WOMEN’S WINNERS ROLL
FIVB Cincinnati Open women’s champions Walsh Jennings/A. Ross of the United States earned the winner’s $11,000 purse. China’s Xue/Xia collected the runner-up $8,000 purse to split from their silver medal placement and Spain’s Fernandez/Baquerizo earned $6,000 for their bronze medal finish. Netherlands’ fourth-place finishers van Gestel/van der Vlist earned $4,500 in prize money.

MEN’S POINTS/EARNINGS
After 14 men’s events on the 2016 FIVB World Tour, Poland’s Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak remain at the top of the FIVB World Tour point standings with 3,400, while Italy’s Adrian Carambula/Alex Ranghieri are second with 3,260 points. Third is Mexico’s Lombardo Ontiveros/Juan Virgen with 2,990 is third, fourth is USA’s Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena with 2,830, and fifth is USA’s John Hyden/Tri Bourne with 2,750 points. Sixth is Germany’s Markus Bockermann/Lars Fluggen with 2,730. and moving up to seventh is Canada’s Grant O’Gorman/Sam Pedlow with 2,720, eighth with 2,690 is France’s Youssef Krou/Eduard Rowlandson,  ninth with 2,380 points is Chile’s cousins Marco Grimalt/Esteban Grimalt and moving into the top 10 at 10th with 2,370 points is Canada’s Josh Binstock/Sam Schachter.

In the 2016 FIVB World Tour men’s season earnings after 14 events, Poland’s Kantor/Losiak tandem continues to lead with $85,750. USA’s Dalhausser/Lucena duo is second with $64,000, Italy’s Carambula/ Ranghieri tandem is third with $55,500 and Brazil’s Evandro Goncalves/Pedro Solberg duo is fourth with $53,000. Fifth is Netherlands’ Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen with $49,375,  sixth is Mexico’s Ontiveros/Virgen  with $45,125, Germany’s Bockermann/Fluggen  with $43,125 is seventh with $43,125, eighth is Poland’s Fijalek/ Prudel with $40,750, ninth is Italy’s Daniele Lupo/Paolo Nicolai with $38,575, while 10th is France’s Krou/Rowlandson with $36,475.

WOMEN’S POINTS/EARNINGS
For the women after 11 2016 FIVB World Tour events, Germany’s Katrin Holtwick/Ilka Semmler duo has climbed to the top run on the ladder with 2,940 points. Italy’s Marta Menegatti/Viktoria Orsi Toth tandem is second on the point leader board with 2,700 points, USA’s Kerri Walsh Jennings/April Ross duo is third with 2,650 points, Switzerland’s Isabelle Forrer/Anouk Vergé-Dépré tandem is fourth with 2,550 points while fifth with 2,530 points is Argentina’s Ana Gallay/Georgina Klug. Sixth with 2,480 points is Germany’s Chantal Labourer/Julia Sude, seventh is Germany’s Karla Borger/Brita Buthe with 2,380 points, Finland’s Taru Lahti/Rikka Lehtonen team is eighth with 2,170, ninth with 2,110 points is Austria’s Barbara Hansel/Stefanie Schwaiger and 10th with 2,100 points is Switzerland’s Joana Heidrich/Nadine Zumkehr.

In the 2016 FIVB World Tour women’s season earnings after 11 events, USA’s Walsh Jennings/A. Ross duo continues in the top spot with $93,000 in earning in just five events, while second with $50,875 is Germany’s Borger/Buthe, third with $49,000 is Poland’s Monika Brzostek/Kinga Kolosinska, fourth with $48,700 is Switzerland’s Forrer/Vergé-Dépré  and fifth is Italy’s Menegatti/Orsi Toth with $44,875. Sixth is Germany’s Ludwig/Walkenhorst  with $44,375, seventh is Germany’s Holtwick/Semmler with $39,525, eighth is Germany’s Laboureur/Sude with $36,250, ninth in the money standings with $36,000 Brazil’s Eduarda Lisboa/Elize Maia and 10th with $33,150 is Switzerland’s Joana Heidrich/Nadine Zumkehr.

MEN’S FINAL FOURS
After 14 men’s tournaments on the 2016 FIVB World Tour schedule, 16 countries have at least one final four placement. Leader with nine final four placements each is the United States (three gold medals, two silver medals, three bronze medals, one fourth place finish), tied for second with seven final four placements each are Brazil (three gold medals, two silver, one bronze, one fourth place finish) and Italy (three gold medals, two silver medals, two fourth place finishes) and.  Tied for third with six final four placements each are, Germany (one gold medal, two silver medals, one bronze medal, two fourth place) and Poland (one gold medal, three bronze medals, two fourth places). Tied for sixth with three final fours each are Latvia (one gold medal, one bronze medal, one fourth place), Mexico (one silver medal, two bronze medals) and Russia (two silver medals, one fourth place finish). Tied for ninth with two final fours each are Chile (two fourth places), the Netherlands (one silver medal, two bronze), and Spain (one gold medal, one bronze medal). Tied for 12th with one final four finish each are Austria (one silver medal), Canada (one silver medal), France (one fourth place), Greece (one fourth place) and Qatar (one gold medal).

WOMEN’S FINAL FOURS
In 11 women’s FIVB international events to date on the 2016 calendar, 15 countries have earned at least one final four finish. Leading in final four placements with eight is Germany (two gold medals, one silver medal, four bronze medals, one fourth place). Second with seven final fours is Brazil (three gold medals, two silver medals, two bronze medals), third with six is the United States (three gold medals, one silver medal, two bronze medals), fourth with five is Switzerland (two gold medals, one bronze medal, two fourth place finishes) and tied for fifth with three final four placements each are Argentina (three fourth place finishes), Italy (one silver medal, one bronze, one fourth place) and the Netherlands (one silver, two fourth place finishes). Eighth with two final four finishes is Spain (one silver medal, one bronze medal). Tied for ninth with one final four finish each are Austria (one silver medal), Australia (one fourth place), China (one silver medal), Czech Republic (one gold medal), Finland (one silver medal), Poland (one silver medal) and Vanuatu (one fourth place).

MEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE/MATCH WINS
Based on percentage, statistically, in men’s action after 14 events on the 2016 FIVB World Tour calendar with a minimum of 25 matches played, the leader at 90.2% is USA’s Dalhausser/Lucena (37-4) while second at 79.3% is Brazil’s Gustavo Carvalhaes/Saymon Barbosa (23-6), third at 77.8% is Netherlands’ Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen (21-6), fourth at  77.4% is Italy’s Ranghieri/Carambula (41-12) and fifth at 75.0% is Italy’s Paolo Nicolai/Daniele Lupo (27-9). Sixth at 74.2% is Latvia’s Aleksandrs Samoilovs/Janis Smedins (23-8), seventh at 73.1% is Spain’s Gavira/Herrera (19-7), eighth at 72.4%  is Poland’s Kantor/Losiak (42-16), ninth at 71.2% is Mexico’s Lombardo Ontiveros/Juan Virgen (37-15) and 10th at 70.8% is Germany’s Markus Bockermann/Lars Fluggen (34-14).

With 42 match wins this season through 14 events on the 2016 FIVB World Tour, leading this category is Poland’s Kantor/ Losiak (42-16), second with 41 match wins is Italy’s Carambula/Ranghieri (41-12) while tied for third with 37 match wins each are Mexico’s Ontiveros/Virgin (37-15) and USA’s Dalhausser/Lucena (37-4), tied for fifth 34 match wins each are Germany’s Bockermann/Fluggen (34-14) and Canada’s Grant O’Gorman/Sam Pedlow (34-26),  seventh with 33 wins is USA’s Tri Bourne/John Hyden (33-17), eighth with 27 wins is Italy’s Paulo Nicolai/Daniele Lupo (27-9) and tied for ninth with 26 wins each are Canada’s Josh Binstock/Sam Schachter (26-21), Latvia’s Martins Plavins/Haralds Regza (26-21) and Austria’s Cristoph Dressler/Thomas Kunert (26-23).

WOMEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE/MATCH WINS
Based on percentage, statistically, in women’s action after 11 events on the 2016 FIVB World Tour calendar with a minimum of 20 matches played, the leader at 94.3% continues to be USA’s Kerri Walsh Jennings/April Ross (33-2), second at 88.9% is Germany’s Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst (24-3), third at 79.4% is Brazil’s Eduarda Lisboa/Elise Maia (27-7), fourth at 73.7% is Germany’s Karla Borger/Britta Buthe (28-10) and fifth at 73.3% is Czech Republic’s Barbora Hermannova/Marketa Slukova (19-7). Sixth at 70.8% is Germany’s Chantal Laboureur/Julia Sude (34-14), seventh at 70.3% is Switzerland’s Heidrich/Zumkehr (26-11), eighth at 68.9% is Italy’s Marta Menegatti/Viktoria Orsi Toth (31-14), ninth at 65.4% is Greece’s Vasiliki Arvaniti/Penny Karagkouni (17-9) and 10th at 63.6% is Switzerland’s Isabelle Forrer/Anouk Verge Depre (28-16).

For the women in match wins following 11 events on the 2016 FIVB calendar, co-leaders with 34 match wins each are Germany’s Laboureur/Sude tandem (34-14) and Germany’s Katrin Holtwick/Ilka Semmler (34-23), third with 33 match wins is USA’s Walsh Jennings/A. Ross (33-2), tied for fourth with 31 wins each are Argentina’s Ana Gallay/Georgina Klug (31-19) and Italy’s Menegatti/Orsi Toth (31-14). Sixth with 29 match wins is Austria’s Barbara Hansel/Stefanie Schwaiger (29-19). Tied for seventh with 28 match wins each are Germany’s Borger/Buthe (28-10) and Switzerland’s Forrer/Vergé-Dépré (28-16), ninth  with 27 match wins is Brazil’s Eduarda Lisboa/Elize Maia (27-7) and tied for 10th with 26 match wins each are Switzerland’s Joana Heidrich/Nadine Zumkehr (26-11) and Finland’s Taru Lahti/Rikka Lehtonen (26-20).

ON THE HORIZON
With placement points for the FIVB Olympic Rankings for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games continuing, the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour continues with events over eight straight weeks through the end of May. In all, Brazil is hosting five international events in 2016. In addition to Maceió, Rio, Vitoria and Fortaleza, the Brazil events conclude with the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Aug. 6-18).

The FIVB World Tour is finishing up eight straight weeks of tournaments and returning to Russia for the second time this season. Only two events remain in the Olympic qualifying window on the FIVB World Tour.. The tour is in Russia this week for the double-gender $800,000 FIVB Moscow Grand Slam. Next week, the FIVB World Tour will take a one week respite, before the final Olympic qualifying event on the FIVB World Tour. The double-gender $800,000 Swatch FIVB Hamburg Major Series will be held in Germany (June 7-12).

GROWING HISTORY
The FIVB Moscow Grand Slam in Russia will be the 344th men’s tournament since the FIVB began play in 1987 and the 305th FIVB women’s tournament since their competition started in 1992.

FIVB 2016
Based in Lausanne, Switzerland as the international governing body for the Olympic sports of Beach Volleyball and Volleyball, the 2016 FIVB Beach Volleyball calendar featured a purse of US$8.8 million with a season that extended from last October to this October, competing at 23 venues in 13 countries. The schedule includes five FIVB Grand Slams, three Swatch FIVB Major Series events, 14 FIVB Opens and the special Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals in the United States. The showcase event will be the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil (Aug. 6-18).

The 2015 portion of the 2016 FIVB World Tour calendar started in October in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and included two more open events prior to the remainder of the schedule resuming at the FIVB Kish Island Open in Iran in February.

ROAD TO RIO
The Olympic qualification process began in 2015 with all FIVB World Tour events (except the Swatch 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 Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Copacabana Beach in Brazil in August. Counting the FIVB Moscow Grand Slam, just two events remain on the Olympic qualifying calendar for the FIVB World Tour.

FIVB WORLD TOUR PURSES
The four FIVB Grand Slam and four Swatch FIVB Major Series competitions in 2016, all double-gender, each have $800,000 in total purses. The total of $500,000 will be the purse for the Swatch FIVB World Tour Season Final which will feature the top eight teams in each gender and two wild card teams.

The 14 FIVB Open tournaments on 2016 calendar, 11 double-gender, and three men’s only, 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 Grand Slam and Swatch FIVB Major Series events split $57,000, the silver $43,000, the bronze $32,000 and fourth place $24,000. The gold medal teams in each gender at FIVB Open tournaments 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 returned as needed in 2015 to determine the final teams for the qualification tournament.