Lausanne, Switzerland, August 23, 2015 — Fresh from its second USA visit of the year last week, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) continues with qualifications for placement into the 2016 Rio Olympic Games when the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour returns to Europe this week for the double-gender $800,000 FIVB Olsztyn Grand Slam. The event will be the final grand slam of the 2015 FIVB World Tour.
Last week saw teams from Brazil win the gold medals over teams from the United States at the $800,000 FIVB Long Beach Grand Slam, the fourth of five double-gender grand slams, each with $800,000 purses, on the 2015 FIVB World Tour calendar. It was the 10th time in the history of the FIVB World Tour that the teams from the two powerhouse beach volleyball countries met in the gold medal match in both genders in the same event.
The $800,000 FIVB Olsztyn Grand Slam will be held this Monday through Sunday as Poland hosts an FIVB World Tour event for the 12th consecutive year.
LONG BEACH MENIn the men’s competition last week in Long Beach, winning the gold medal with a 6-1 record was Brazil’s second-seeded newly crowned FIVB World Champions Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt. Winners of four straight FIVB tournaments, Brazil’s Alison/Bruno stopped USA’s Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena in three sets, 21-18, 20-22 and 15-13 in 75 minutes. It was Brazil’s 178th all-time FIVB men’s gold medal and the 16th career FIVB gold medal for Alison and seventh for Bruno. Earning the bronze medal was Spain’s Adrian Gavira/Pablo Herrera who defeated Netherlands’ Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen, 9-21, 21-17 and 15-12 in 64 minutes.
LONG BEACH WOMENIn the women’s competition in Long Beach, Brazil’s Larissa Franca/Talita Antunes won the gold medal with a 7-0 record, winning the gold medal match over USA’s Kerri Walsh Jennings/April Ross in straight sets, 21-18, 21-16 in 54 minutes. It was the 54th FIVB career gold medal for Brazil’s Larissa and 26th FIVB World Title for Talita. Germany’s 2015 European Champions Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhort won the bronze medal by defeating Australia’s Louis3 Bawden/Taliqua Clancy, 21-17, 21-13 in 47 minutes.
MEN’S WINNERS SHARELast week’s FIVB Long Beach Grand Slam men’s champion Alison/Bruno of Brazil earned 800 points on the FIVB World Tour and picked up the gold medal purse of $57,000. USA’s Dalhausser/Lucena earned 720 valuable points in the FIVB World Tour Rankings as well as earning $43,000 in prize money. Spain’s bronze medalists Gavira/Herrera earned $32,000 in prize money and 640 points that go toward the Olympic qualification rankings. Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen received 560 points and $24,000 in prize money for their fourth place finish.
WOMEN’S WINNERS ROLLLast week’s FIVB Long Beach Grand Slam women’s champions Larissa/Talita of Brazil also earned 800 points on the FIVB World Tour and also picked up the gold medal purse of $57,000. USA’s runner-up duo Walsh Jennings/A. Ross 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 and Germany’s Ludwig/Walkenhorst earned $32,000 in prize money and 640 points that go towards the Olympic qualification rankings. Australia’s fourth-place finishers Bawden/Clancy picked up 560 points and $24,000 in prize money.
MEN’S POINTS/EARNINGS
After 10 events, Brazil’s 2015 FIVB World Champions, Gstaad, Yokohama and Long Beach gold medalists Alison/Bruno Brazil’s moved lead the FIVB World Tour points with 4,920. Brazil’s Pedro Solberg/Evandro Goncalves are second in the standings with 4,360. Third is Netherlands’ 2013 FIVB World Champions Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen with 4,300 points, fourth with 3,980 points is Netherlands’ Reinder Nummerdor/Christian Varenhorst and in fifth is Austria’s Clemens Doppler/Alexander Horst with 3,760 points.
In the 2015 FIVB World Tour men’s season earnings, Brazil’s Alison/Bruno leads with $284,000 in prize winnings, followed in second by Brazil’s Solberg/Goncalves with $202,000 while third is Netherlands’ Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen with $168,000, fourth is Netherlands’ Nummerdor/Varenhorst with $166,000, and fifth is Spain’s Herrera/Gavira with $148,375.
WOMEN’S POINTS/EARNINGS
For the women after 11 FIVB World Tour events, Brazil’s new FIVB World Champions Agatha Bednarczuk/Barbara Seixas duo continues at the top of the point list with 5,420 points with Canada’s Heather Bansley/Sarah Pavan second with 4,710 points, moving to third is Brazil’s Larissa/Talita with 4,540 points, fourth is Brazil’s Maria Antonelli/Juliana Felisberta with 4,120 and fifth Australia’s Louise Bawden/Taliqua Clancy with 4,020 points.
In the 2015 FIVB World Tour women’s season earnings after 11 events, Brazil’s Agatha/Barbara duo is tops with $270,000 with Brazil’s Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca second with $267,000, while third is Brazil’s Antonelli/Juliana with $192,000, fourth is Canada’s Bansley/Pavan with $181,375 and fifth is Germany’s Ludwig/Walkenhorst tandem with $168,000.
MEN’S FINAL FOURS
In 10 men’s tournament so far in 2015 on the FIVB World Tour, 14 countries have at least one final four placement. Co-leaders with eight final four placements each are Brazil (five gold medals, one silver, one bronze, one fourth place) and the Netherlands (one gold medal, four silver medals, one bronze medal, two fourth places). Third with five final four finishes is the United States (one gold medal, one silver, one bronze, two fourth places) and fourth is Italy with four (one gold medal, one bronze, two fourth places). Tied for fifth with two final four placements each are Austria (one bronze, one fourth place), Canada (two silver medals), Germany (one gold, one bronze), Poland (one silver, one bronze) and Spain (one gold, one bronze) and tied for 10th with one each are France (one bronze), Italy (one fourth place), Russia (one fourth place), Switzerland (one fourth place), and Turkey (one bronze).
WOMEN’S FINAL FOURS
In 11 women’s event so far this year, nine countries have earned at least one final four finish. At the top with 17 total final four placements so far is Brazil (eight gold medals, five silver medals, three bronze medals, one fourth place). Tied for second with seven final fours each are Canada (one gold medal, two silver, three bronze, one fourth place) and Germany (two gold medals, one silver, one bronze, three fourth places),fourth with four final fours is the United States (one bronze, one silver, two fourth place finishes) fifth with three is the Netherlands (two silver, one bronze), tied for sixth with two each are China (two fourth places) and Australia (one bronze), Italy (one bronze, one fourth) and eighth is Switzerland with one final four (one fourth place).
MEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE
Based on percentage, statistically, in men’s action after 10 events with 18 matches minimum, leading at 82.4% is Brazil’s Alison/Bruno (42-9) while second at 75.7% is USA’s Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson (28-9), third at 75.6% is Netherlands’ Nummerdor/Varenhorst (34-11). Fourth at 74.1% is Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen (40-14) and fifth at 72.0% is USA’s Nick Lucena/Theodore Brunner (36-14).
Brazil’s Cerutti/Schmidt (42-9) have the most match wins with 42, Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen (40-14) are second with 40, third with 36 is USA’s Theo Brunner/Lucena (36-14), fourth with 34 is Netherlands’ Nummerdor/Varenhorst (34-11) and fifth with 31 wins is Brazil’s Evandro Goncalves/Pedro Solberg (31-17).
WOMEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE
For the women to date, following 11 events on the 2015 FIVB calendar with a minimum of 20 matches, Brazilian tandems have four of the top six winning percentages. Brazil’s Talita/Larissa lead at 90.5% (38-4), Brazil’s Agatha/Barbara are second at 87.0% (47-7), followed by at 75.6% by Brazil’s Lima/Alves (31-10), USA’s Walsh Jennings/A. Ross is fourth at 73.3% (22-8), Canada’s Heather Bansley/Sarah Pavan is fifth at 71.9% (41-16) and sixth is Brazil’s Maria Antonelli/Juliana Felisberta at 69.6% (32-14).
Leading with the most match wins so far with 47 is Brazil’s Agatha/Barbara (47-7), second with 41 is Canada’s Bansley/Pavan (41-16) while third with 38 is Brazil’s Larissa/Talita (38-4), while fourth with 35 is Germany’s Chantal Laboureur/Julia Sude (35-20) and tied for fourth with 32 each are Brazil’s Antonelli/Julianna (32-14), Australia’s Bawden/Clancy (32-17) and Canada’s Jamie Lynn Broder/Kristina Valjas (32-27).
ON THE HORIZON
This week’s annual visit to Poland for the double-gender $800,000 FIVB Olsztyn Grand Slam is the second of four straight double-gender events as the schedule has five events on tap in a six-week window. Following this event will be the $150,000 FIVB Rio Open in Brazil (Sept. 2-6), a test event for the 2016 beach volleyball Olympic venue at Copacabana Beach.
The FIVB Rio Open will be a 24-team event, per gender, that is the final qualifying event for the inaugural double-gender $500,000 Swatch 2015 FIVB World Tour Finals to held in the United States in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Sept. 29-Oct. 4) for the top eight teams in each gender in the final 2015 FIVB World Tour Rankings plus two wild card teams will qualify for Fort Lauderdale. The gold medal teams in each gender at the Swatch 2015 FIVB World Tour Finals will each earn a FIVB $100,000 in prize money.
After Rio and prior to Fort Lauderdale, two double-gender $150,000 FIVB Opens, the FIVB Sochi Open in Russia (Sept. 8-13) and the FIVB Xiamen Open in China (Sept. 22-27) will be held, with placement points counting in the FIVB Olympic Rankings for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
GROWING HISTORY
The FIVB Olsztyn Grand Slam will be the 325th men’s tournament since the FIVB began play in 1987 and the 289th 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 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 2016 Rio Olympic Games on Copacabana Beach 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 was $1,000,000 and $500,000 will be the total for the Swatch FIVB World Tour Season Final which will feature the top eight teams in each gender and two wild card teams.
The 10 FIVB Open tournaments in 2015, eight 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 have returned as needed in 2015 to determine the final teams for the qualification tournament.