Dutch Win Beach Volleyball World Champs; Brazilians Look Forward to Rio 2016

(ATR) Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen of the Netherlands are the surprise winners of the 2013 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships.

Playing in front of a capacity crowd of 9,000 on Sunday, Brouwer and Meeuwsen defeated the Brazilian duo of Ricardo Santos and Alvaro Filho to win the FIVB’s showcase event. The championships were held in the scenic lakeside village of Stare Jablonki, Poland from July 1 to 7.

"Look around, it’s amazing how they set up this venue and luckily the weather has been perfect this week," Brouwer said. "Polish people feel beach volleyball and I think we have a good example here for the 2015 world championships, which are in Holland. The way this has been organized is perfect."

Filho, 22, who partnered with 2004 Olympic gold medalist Ricardo, 38, is one of the rising stars of Brazilian beach volleyball. The world championships silver medalist said he can’t wait for Rio 2016.

"Playing in Rio for me and all Brazilians is a dream," Filho said. "The experience [in 2016] will be the most amazing possible. Brazil loves beach volleyball and you will witness a very good Olympics there."

In the women’s gold medal match on Saturday, China’s 2008 Olympic bronze medalists Chen Xue and Zhang Xi beat Karla Borger and Britta Buthe of Germany.

Ninety-six teams from 31 countries competed at the tournament, which offered a total purse of $1 million divided evenly between the men and women.

FIVB President Dr. Ary Graça presided over his first world championships, having been elected in September 2012.

"At the London Olympic Games all tickets for beach volleyball were sold and then we come here and see this great beauty," Graça said, referring to the cozy venue on the shores of Lake Svelag Maly. "Everyone can see that people are happy and having amusement. It is fantastic. This is the spirit of beach volleyball."

Rego’s Road to Rio

The Brazilian star Emanuel Rego tells Around the Rings that as long as he remains fit and injury-free, he will play in his sixth Olympics at Rio 2016.

"The passion for beach volleyball in Brazil is huge now and I think Copacabana in Rio will be more [exciting] than Maracanã," Rego said, comparing the future Olympic beach volleyball site to Brazil’s venerable football stadium.

"I can feel this energy to be there again and represent my country," said the veteran volleyballer. "I think I’m still healthy and this is the key point. Being 40, it’s difficult to play three or four days and then recover while the younger players refresh themselves in 12 hours."

Rego, who along with partner Alison Cerutti lost in the bronze medal game in Poland, has participated at all five Olympics in which beach volleyball has been contested. He has won three medals: silver in London 2012, bronze in Beijing 2008 and gold in Athens 2004.

It seems plausible that he and Cerutti could be among the medal contenders in Rio 2016.

"I can see the new generation coming and this is bringing me a lot of challenge," Rego said. "This is the motivation I need to be here for three more years."

"In Brazil, the pressure will be high for all the teams – it doesn’t matter what sport," Rego said, referring to the 2016 Games. "I think we’ll need to have all of our experience and another reason I’m thinking of playing at the Olympics is that I need to be there for Brazil to help keep the stress down for the younger players."

Olympic Roots in Rio

In 1993, former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch was invited to an FIVB beach volleyball tournament in Rio de Janeiro and was highly impressed with what he witnessed. It was a monumental step toward the IOC accepting the sport into the Olympic program, having made its debut in Atlanta 1996.

"Thanks to Brazil we are in the Olympic Games because in ’93 at Copacabana it was phenomenal for Samaranch, the organizers of the Atlanta Games and many other IOC members," said Angelo Squeo, FIVB director of events.

"We are going back to Copacabana in Rio with the idea to create a platform for the next 10 years," Squeo said. " If I can imagine a place where the sport can really succeed it is in Brazil and Copacabana is the ideal beach."

The Rio de Janeiro Games will mark a welcome return home for the Brazilian FIVB President Graça, who also serves on the IOC’s Sport for All Commission.

"I can assure you it [beach volleyball] will be a success, maybe the best success at the Olympics," Graça proclaimed.

For 2016, a 12,000 capacity stadium will be built on Copacabana beach in the Zona Sul area of Rio.

"Like we did in London, we want to show the beautiful surroundings and in Rio it will be the ocean and the Two Brothers mountain," Squeo said.

"Just like Horse Guards Parade, we want to create a picture that will remain in the minds of people forever."

Vanuatu Surprises in Poland

One of the success stories at the world championships was the play of Henriette Latika and Miller Elwin, representing the small South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, population 250,000.

Seeking a berth in the quarterfinals, Latika and Elwin battled the 2008 Olympic bronze medalists Xue and Zhang Xi of China, coming one point shy of winning the first set, before ultimately losing a hard-fought two-set match.

"We know that China is the number one team and we played well in that first set," Latika said after the contest. "We are very happy because we had a good performance in this tournament."

The pair from Vanuatu achieved a ninth place result and earned $11,000 in prize money in their first world championships appearance.

Latika, 28, and Elwin, 25, who just missed qualifying for the London Olympics, continue to progress within the sport while challenging traditional gender roles and beliefs regarding what is appropriate for women in Vanuatu.

After Latika and Elwin won the 2008 Oceania Championship, the IOC provided a grant to assist the women with travel expenses so that they could attempt to improve their world ranking.

Coached by Australian Lauren McLeod since 2009, Latika and Elwin are hopeful to compete at Rio 2016 provided they have the financial means to continue their dream.

"We were hoping to make an impact here at the world championships," McLeod said. "It’s our last chance on the world stage to really promote Vanuatu beach volleyball and have people see the girls play.

"Hopefully, someone out there is listening or watching and can see the benefit of what we’re trying to accomplish. They’re representing the entire Pacific – that’s 23 countries in Oceania that they’re playing on behalf of."

Reported in Stare Jablonki by Brian Pinelli

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