Gstaad, Switzerland, January 26, 2012 – Athletes on the FIVB Beach Volleyball SWATCH World Tour will be hoping for slightly better conditions in the Swiss mountain resort of Gstaad than those in this picture from last weekend when the 1to1 Energy Grand Slam takes place from July 2 to 8.
Although conditions are far from perfect now, the town will install the artificial beach closer to the tournament, which has become one of the most popular events on the calendar having featured 12 times on the women’s circuit and 11 on the men’s. It was also the host of the 2007 Swatch World Championships, with the women’s tournament won by USA’s Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Wash and the men’s crown scooped up by compatriots Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers.
Of course, despite being scheduled for the moderate Swiss summer, the tournament did experience one freak hailstorm on the final day of the women’s tournament two years ago, with play delayed for three hours.
The 2012 Tour will feature a total of 14 events in 15 countries over a seven-month period, including a record-breaking nine Grand Slam tournaments, increasing from six in 2011.
There will also be eight Open events, six of which will be single-gender competitions.
With total prize money of $7.3 million on offer, the FIVB Beach Volleyball SWATCH World Tour 2012 will also include Grand Slams offering $600,000 prize money in Beijing, Moscow, Rome, Stavanger, Klagenfurt, Stare Jablonki as well as Shanghai, which has been upgraded from an Open, event and Berlin which returns to the calendar for the first time since 2008.