Lausanne, Switzerland, July 27, 2015 — Relishing in the international spotlight of 10 events over a 13-week window, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) takes a three-week break with qualifications for placement into the 2016 Rio Olympic Games resuming in three weeks when the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour crosses the Atlantic to the United States for the double-gender $800,000 FIVB Long Beach Grand Slam to be held Aug. 18-23 in Southern California.
Last week saw teams from Brazil and Germany win the gold medals at the FIVB Yokohama Grand Slam in Japan, the third of five double-gender grand slams, each with $800,000 purses, on the 2015 FIVB World Tour calendar.
The FIVB Long Beach Grand Slam will be held for the third consecutive year and it will be the second of three FIVB international events this year in the United States. In June was the $800,000 FIVB St. Petersburg Grand Slam in Florida and the $500,000 Swatch FIVB World Tour Final, featuring the top eight men and women’s teams plus two wild cards, will be held Sept. 29-Oct. 4 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
YOKOHAMA MENIn the men’s competition last week in Yokohama, winning the gold medal with a perfect 7-0 record was Brazil’s third-seeded newly crowned FIVB World Champions Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt. Winners of three straight FIVB tournaments, Brazil’s Alison/Bruno stopped Canada’s surprising 16th-seeded Ben Saxton/Chaim Schalk, 21-15, 21-15 in just 34 minutes. It was Brazil’s 177th all-time FIVB men’s gold medal and the 15th career FIVB gold medal for Alison and sixth for Bruno. Earning the bronze medal was Austria’s ninth-seeded Clemens Doppler/Alexander Horst who defeated Russia’s 19th-seeded Konstantin Semenov/Viacheslav Krasilnikov, 21-17, 21-16 in 36 minutes.
YOKOHAMA WOMEN
In the women’s competition in Yokohama, Germany stopped Brazil’s gold medal streak at seven. Germany’s 11th-seeded Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst won the gold medal by breaking the winning streak after three of Brazil’s second-seeded Agatha Bednarczuk/Barbara Seixas in straight sets, 21-14, 21-17 in just 38 minutes. On the way to the finals, Germany’s Ludwig/Walkenhorst, who were 6-1 in the tournament won their quarterfinal match by upsetting Brazil’s top-seeded Larissa Franca/Talita Antunes, 21-18, 21-18 in 37 minutes. It was the second FIVB career gold medal for Germany’s Ludwig/Walkenhorst. Canada’s sixth-seeded Heather Bansley/Sarah Pavan won the bronze medal for the second straight event with last week’s come-from-behind win in three sets over USA’s 16th-seeded April Ross/Jennifer Fopman, 15-21, 22-20 and 15-9 in 55 minutes.
MEN’S WINNERS SHARE
Last week’s FIVB Yokohama 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. Canada’s Saxton/Schalk earned 720 valuable points in the FIVB World Tour Rankings as well as earning $43,000 in prize money. Austria’s bronze medalists Doppler/Horst earned $32,000 in prize money and 640 points that go toward the Olympic qualification rankings. Russia’s Semenov/Krasilnikov received 560 points and $24,000 in prize money for their fourth place finish.
WOMEN’S WINNERS ROLL
Last week’s FIVB Yokohama Grand Slam women’s champions Ludwig/Walkenhorst of Germany 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 Agatha/Barbara 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 Canada’s bronze medal winners Bansley/Pavan earned $32,000 in prize money and 640 points that go towards the Olympic qualification rankings. USA’s fourth-place finishers A. Ross/Fopma picked up 560 points and $24,000 in prize money.
MEN’S POINTS/EARNINGS
After nine events, Brazil’s 2015 FIVB World Champions, Gstaad and Yokohama gold medalists Alison/Bruno Brazil’s moved from third to first to lead the FIVB World Tour points with 4,120. Brazil’s Pedro Solberg/Evandro Goncalves slipped to second in the standings with 4,000. Third is Netherlands’ 2013 FIVB World Champions Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen with 3,740 points, fourth with 3,620 points is Netherlands’ Reinder Nummerdor/Christian Varenhorst and moving up to fifth is Austria’s Doppler/Horst with 3,280 points.
In the 2015 FIVB World Tour men’s season earnings, Brazil’s Alison/Bruno have moved into the lead with $227,000 in prize winnings, followed in second by Brazil’s Solberg/Goncalves with $191,000 while third is Netherlands’ Nummerdor/Varenhorst with $155,000, fourth Netherlands’ Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen with $144,000, and fifth is USA’s Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson with $132,000.
WOMEN’S POINTS/EARNINGS
For the women after 10 FIVB World Tour events, Brazil’s Agatha/Barbara duo continues at the top of the point list with 6,060 points with Canada’s Heather Bansley/Sarah Pavan second with 4,230 points, third remains Brazil’s Maria Antonelli/Juliana Felisberta with 3,760, fourth is Brazil’s Larissa/Talita with 3,740 points and fifth Australia’s Louise Bawden/Taliqua Clancy with 3,460 points. Germany’s Ludwig/Walkenhorst duo has moved up to seventh with 3,200 points.
In the 2015 FIVB World Tour women’s season earnings after 10 events, Brazil’s Agatha/Barbara duo is tops with $259,000 with Brazil’s Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca second with $210,000, while third is Brazil’s Antonelli/Juliana with $181,000, fourth is Canada’s Bansley/Pavan with $164,375 and fifth is Brazil’s Taiana/Fernanda with $144,000. Germany’s Ludwig/Walkenhorst tandem has moved up to sixth with $136,000.
MEN’S FINAL FOURS
In nine men’s tournament so far in 2015 on the FIVB World Tour, 14 countries have at least one final four placement. Co-leaders with seven final four placements each are Brazil (four gold medals, one silver, one bronze, one fourth place) and the Netherlands (one gold medal, four silver medals, one bronze medal, one fourth place). Tied for third with four final four finishes each are Italy (one gold, one bronze, two fourth places) and the United States (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) and Poland (one silver, one bronze) and tied for ninth with one each are France (one bronze), Italy (one fourth place), Russia (one fourth place), Switzerland (one fourth place), Spain (one gold) and Turkey (one bronze).
WOMEN’S FINAL FOURS
In 10 women’s event so far this year, nine countries have earned at least one final four finish. At the top with 16 total final four placements so far is Brazil (seven gold medals, five silver medals, three bronze medals, one fourth place). Second with seven final fours is Canada (one gold medal, two silver, three bronze, one fourth place) while third is Germany with six (two gold medals, one silver, three fourth places), tied for fourth with three each are the Netherlands (two silver, one bronze) and the United States (one bronze, two fourth place finishes); sixth with two is China (two fourth places) and tied for seventh with one each are Australia (one bronze), Italy (one bronze) and Switzerland (one fourth place).
MEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE
Based on percentage, statistically, in men’s action after nine events with 16 matches minimum, leading at 81.4% is Brazil’s Alison/Bruno (35-8) while second at 79.4% is USA’s Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson (27-7), third at 77.5% is Netherlands’ Nummerdor/Varenhorst (31-9). Fourth at 76.6% is Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen (36-11) and fifth at 72.0% is USA’s Nick Lucena/Theodore Brunner (36-14).
Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen (36-11) and USA’s Lucena/Brunner (36-14) are tied for the most match wins with 36, third with 35 is Brazil’s Alison/Bruno (35-8), fourth with 31 is Netherlands’ Nummerdor/Varenhorst (31-9) and fifth with 28 wins is Brazil’s Evandro Goncalves/Pedro Solberg (28-16).
WOMEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE
For the women to date, following 10 events on the 2015 FIVB calendar with a minimum of 18 matches, Brazilian tandems have four of the top five winning percentages. Brazil’s Talita/Larissa are lead at 88.6% (31-4), Brazil’s Agatha/Barbara are second at 88.0% (44-6), followed by at 77.5% by Brazil’s Lima/Alves (31-9), Canada’s Bansley/Pavan is fourth at 71.2% (37-15) and fifth is Brazil’s Antonelli/Juliana at 70.7% (29-12).
Leading with the most match wins so far with 44 is Brazil’s Agatha/Barbara (44-6), Second with 37 is Canada’s Bansley/Pavan (37-15) while third with 32 is Germany’s Chantal Laboureur/Julia Sude (32-18) and tied for fourth with 31 each are Brazil’s Larissa Franca/Talita Antunes (31-4), Brazil’s Fernanda Alves/Taiana Lima (31-9) and Canada’s Jamie Lynn Broder/Kristina Valjas (31-24).
ON THE HORIZON
Following last week’s $800,000 FIVB Yokohama Grand Slam in Japan, the 2015 FIVB World Tour now has a three-week break before resuming in the United States on Aug. 18-23 with the double-gender $800,000 FIVB Long Beach Grand Slam in Southern California and finishing the August schedule with the fifth and final 2015 grand slam in Poland on Aug. 25-30 at the $800,000 FIVB Olsztyn Grand Slam. September’s schedule starts in Brazil with the double-gender $150,000 FIVB Rio Open which is the final event on this year’s calendar where the points will count toward the Swatch FIVB World Tour Final to be held Sept. 29-Oct. 4 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., USA.
GROWING HISTORY
The FIVB Long Beach Grand Slam will be the 324th men’s tournament since the FIVB began play in 1987 and the 288th 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 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.