Snow Volleyball Festival coming to Lausanne in 2020!

Lausanne, Switzerland, December 13, 2019 - The FIVB is delighted to announce that the sport of snow volleyball will be part of the Lausanne en Jeux! Festival at Place de l’Europe in the heart of the city from January 18-19, 2020.

"Snow Volleyball Festival" will start from 10:00am CET each day and feature volleyball legends such as indoor Olympic gold medallists Giba and Vladimir Grbic, two-time silver Olympic medallist Elizaveta Bracht-Tishchenko, as well as beach volleyball Olympic champion Julius Brink, demonstrating their skills and offering snow volleyball masterclasses. A specialised snow court will be set up, and local schools and volleyball clubs have been invited to take part in Snow Volleyball Festival and will create opportunities for children and families to take part in snow volleyball, learning from Olympic gold medallists in the process.

The Lausanne en Jeux! Festival aims to bring the worlds of sport and culture together as an official part of the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games, through an exciting programme of events, workshops, exhibitions, concerts and shows. Every part of the festival will all be open to the general public. The Snow Volleyball Festival has also been included as an official part of World Snow Day, led by the International Skiing Federation as an opportunity to invite young people to participate in winter sport. As part of the FIVB’s commitment to sustainable sport, the ice required for the court will be recycled from local ice rinks.

The 2019 FIVB Snow Volleyball World Tour enjoyed the full venues and spectators’ attention

Snow volleyball has continued to grow around the world in recent years. Last year, the FIVB hosted its first Snow Volleyball World Tour, with teams from all five Continental Confederations participating. Its role in the Lausanne en Jeux! Festival follows on from "Snow Volleyball Night", a demonstration event that took place outside Austria House during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Snow Volleyball Night, co-hosted by FIVB and CEV in cooperation with the Austrian Olympic Committee, was a great success, not only attracting key media but also engaging a number of IOC Members and leading figures from the world of sport.

Patrice Schaub, Sports Project Manager of Lausanne en Jeux! and Events & Sports Activities Unit Manager of the City of Lausanne said:

"We are very pleased to host the Snow Volleyball Festival as part of Lausanne en Jeux! The FIVB is one of the major international federations established in Lausanne."

FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F° said:

"This is another wonderful opportunity to showcase the sport of snow volleyball. It is a fast paced and enjoyable sport to watch and play, and creates a new opportunity for people to get involved in a cool winter sport.

"Snow volleyball ensures that the sport is available all year round, from the summer to the winter, from the mountains to the beach! And as we aim to become the world’s number one family sport, taking part in Lausanne en Jeux! is a perfect stage to get the next generation of Swiss residents excited about volleyball. Come and join us in the snow!"

Olympic Champion at Athens 2004, Giba, who has participated in Snow Volleyball Night and on the Snow Volleyball World Tour, said:

"Since Snow Volleyball Night in PyeongChang, the sport has been a hit all over the world. The very nature of the sport means it is played in a beautiful environment, and allows predominantly summer-sport nations to excel in a winter sport.

"Being included in the Lausanne en Jeux! Festival is another great opportunity for the sport and I am excited to invite Lausanne residents and guests to participate!"

A detailed agenda of the Snow Volleyball Festival will be released in the coming weeks.

Quick links - Snow volleyball:

FIVB.com - Snow volleyball

Lausanne 2020 - Snow Volleyball Festival

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