Preview – Rio de Janeiro Set to Host Final Beach Pro Tour Elite16 of 2024
Rio de Janeiro, the iconic host city of the 2016 Olympic Games, is gearing up to welcome the world’s best beach volleyball players for the final Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Elite16 event of the year. From November 6 to 10, the sands of Rio will witness fierce competition, with seven Olympic medalists headlining the men’s lineup, including champions from both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
Top-Seeded Swedes Lead Pool A
Paris 2024 Olympic gold medalists David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig of Sweden enter the tournament as the top-seeded team in Pool A. The young Swedish duo, currently ranked number one in the FIVB World Ranking, recently claimed bronze at the João Pessoa Elite16, marking the first time since May 2023 that they failed to reach a major international final.
Joining them in Pool A are Norway’s Mathias Berntsen and Hendrik Mol, who are eager to secure their first Tour medal of 2024, and Austria’s Philipp Waller and Timo Hammarberg, a new pairing making their Beach Pro Tour debut after competing together at the CEV European Championship in August.
Mol and Sørum Headline Pool B
Pool B features Tokyo 2020 Olympic champions and Paris 2024 bronze medalists Anders Mol and Christian Sørum of Norway. The Beach Volley Vikings, who ended Åhman and Hellvig’s winning streak in the João Pessoa semifinals, are no strangers to success, having claimed numerous titles on the Beach Pro Tour.
Also in Pool B are Latvia’s Martins Plaviņš, a London 2012 bronze medalist, and his 19-year-old partner Kristians Fokerots, the reigning 2024 European champions. The duo reached the quarterfinals in João Pessoa, where they fell to Mol and Sørum. Rounding out the pool is Brazil’s Andre Stein, now paired with Adelmo Gonçalves.
Qatar’s Cherif and Ahmed in Pool C
Pool C promises intense competition, with Qatari stars Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan leading the charge. The Tokyo 2020 bronze medalists and Paris 2024 fourth-place finishers will face off against the Netherlands’ Steven van de Velde and Matthew Immers, ranked fifth in the world, and Brazil’s Arthur Mariano, who teams up with 20-year-old Pedro Sousa for the first time.
Capogrosso Brothers in Pool D
Pool D features Argentina’s Nicolas and Tomas Capogrosso, who reached the semifinals in João Pessoa. They will challenge Brazil’s Adrielson Dos Santos and Arthur Da Silva, who have consistently performed well in recent Tour events. Ukraine’s top duo, Sergiy Popov and Eduard Reznik, will also compete in this pool.
Qualifiers Set the Stage
The tournament begins on Wednesday with two rounds of qualification matches, determining the final four teams to join the 16-team main draw. The qualifier lineup includes notable names such as Brazil’s Gustavo Carvalhaes (Guto) and Vitor Felipe, former partners Pedro Solberg and Gabriel Dos Reis, England’s Joaquin and Javier Bello, and Portugal’s João Pedrosa and Hugo Campos.
A Fitting Finale in Rio
As the Beach Pro Tour Elite16 season concludes in Rio de Janeiro, fans can expect thrilling matches and world-class performances. With Olympic champions, rising stars, and seasoned veterans all vying for glory, the tournament promises to deliver unforgettable moments on the iconic sands of Copacabana.
