BPT Vienna Preview – Final Tune-up Before Paris
The Austrian capital Vienna is hosting its first-ever Elite16 tournament from Tuesday to Sunday. This event marks the return of international beach volleyball to the city after Vienna previously staged the 2017 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship and FIVB World Tour stops in the two following years.
A Special Occasion for International Beach Volleyball
Vienna’s Heumarkt will play host to this exciting tournament, which is significant as teams from around the world finalize their preparations for the Paris Olympics. Of the 48 duos qualified for the Games, 27 have decided to compete in this Elite16 tournament, which will be the final opportunity to fine-tune their skills before heading to the Paris Olympics, set to begin on July 27.
Women’s Teams to Watch in Vienna
In the women’s competition, 11 of the 24 teams that will be competing in Paris are set to take part in Vienna this week. Four teams – Germany’s Laura Ludwig/Louisa Lippmann, Czechia’s Barbora Hermannová/Marie-Sára Štochlova, Spain’s Liliana Fernández/Paula Soria, and Lithuania’s Monika Paulikiene/Aine Raupelyte – will play in Tuesday’s qualifier. Meanwhile, Latvia’s Tina Graudina/Anastasija Samoilova, Italy’s Marta Menegatti/Valentina Gottardi, China’s Chen Xue/Xinyi Xia, Germany’s Cinja Tillmann/Svenja Müller, Spain’s Daniela Álvarez/Tania Moreno, Australia’s Taliqua Clancy/Mariafe Artacho, and Switzerland’s Esmée Böbner/Zoé Vergé-Dépré will enter the main draw directly.
Strong Main Draw for Men’s Event
The men’s side of the tournament will also feature a powerful field, with 16 of the 24 men’s teams competing in Paris entered into the Austrian event. The first teams to take the court will be Australia’s Thomas Hodges/Zachery Schubert and Mark Nicolaidis/Izac Carracher, France’s Youssef Krou/Arnaud Gauthier-Rat, Italy’s Adrian Carambula/Alex Ranghieri, and Spain’s Pablo Herrera/Adrián Gavira, all of whom will compete in the qualifier on Wednesday.
Olympic Duel Set to Play Out in Vienna
An exciting Olympic duel will take place in Vienna, where Brazil’s Evandro/Arthur and Austria’s Julian Hörl/Alexander Horst, who share a pool at the Paris Olympics, will meet on Thursday at 11:30 local time (9:30 GMT). This clash will offer a preview of what fans can expect when these teams face off again during the Games.
Tournament Schedule for Vienna
The women’s tournament will begin with the qualifier on Tuesday, followed by pool play matches on Wednesday and Thursday. The Round of 12 and the quarterfinals are scheduled for Friday, with the semifinals and medal matches on Saturday. The men’s tournament follows a similar schedule, starting on Wednesday and concluding on Sunday.
As teams prepare for the final push toward the Paris Olympics, this Elite16 event promises to be an exciting and pivotal stop for the best beach volleyball players in the world.
