BPT Ostrava Results – Hughes/Cheng and Åhman/Hellvig Reign Supreme
David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig are absolutely on fire in the 2024 Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour season! After their stunning victory at the Ostrava Elite16 event on Sunday, the Swedish duo is on an incredible streak, and this win only adds to their dominance. Right behind them on the podium were Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot from the Netherlands, taking second, and the United States’ Andy Benesh and Miles Partain, who claimed third place.
On the women’s side, the Lower Vitkovice industrial heritage site saw the return of world champions Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes to the top, taking home gold. They outperformed Canada’s Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson, who finished with silver, while Latvia’s Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova grabbed the bronze.
For Åhman and Hellvig, this win in Czechia marks their third victory in just four Beach Pro Tour events in 2024. They’ve been absolutely unstoppable—grabbing gold at Elite16 stops in Tepic and Espinho before their Ostrava triumph. These two have now claimed five victories in their last six tournaments, with a near-perfect record, having won 54 out of their last 59 matches.
Their journey to the top began last August, and they’ve made it to the final in every tournament since then, leaving a trail of victories in their wake. The only blemish in this remarkable streak came at the season-opening Doha Elite16, where they were bested by Boermans and de Groot—the same duo they faced in the gold medal match in Ostrava. This time, Åhman and Hellvig emerged victorious with a dominant 2-0 win (21-19, 21-18), finally getting the rematch they were eager for.
“We knew they had played very well the last time we played them, so we wanted a rematch, and now we got it,” Åhman said. “They played incredibly well again, and it was such a tough match, but it feels amazing now.”
Benesh and Partain’s bronze medal was their best result of the season so far, with an impressive 2-0 win (21-15, 21-14) over the Olympic champions, Norway’s Anders Mol and Christian Sørum. The Norwegians were making their return to international competition after a three-month absence.
Meanwhile, the women’s competition saw Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes prove once again why they’re world champions. Their victory in Ostrava was their first gold since last year’s FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship. They fought hard to defeat Canada’s Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson 2-1 (21-13, 21-23, 15-12) in a nail-biting final. This marked their sixth international victory together and their ninth overall, solidifying their status as one of the best teams in the world.
It was also a special win for Cheng, who claimed her second title in Ostrava after winning here in 2021 with former partner Sarah Sponcil. “Kelly and I just wanted to play together,” Hughes shared. “We just focused on our side of the net because they’re an incredible team. We knew we just had to do what it took to put the ball away and we did that. The fans here in Ostrava are among the best we’ve ever played for, so I’d just like to thank them too.”
With these victories, Åhman and Hellvig, along with Cheng and Hughes, are continuing to solidify their places at the top of the beach volleyball world. And as the season rolls on, there’s no telling how much higher they’ll go!
