Golden Breakthroughs: Graudina/Samoilova and Pristauz/Seidl Shine!

In a tale of perseverance and triumph, Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova, the dynamic Latvian duo, have finally clinched their maiden victory on the Beach Pro Tour. Despite boasting an impressive resume that includes two European Championships and a historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics, the coveted gold had remained elusive for them. However, in a dazzling display of skill and determination, they emerged victorious in Nuvali, Philippines, seizing the top spot and adding nearly 400 crucial points to their Olympic ranking. With their ascent to No. 9, their path to the 2024 Olympics appears almost certain, cementing their status as formidable contenders on the global stage.

Equally remarkable was the triumph of Austrians Moritz Pristauz and Robin Seidl, who claimed victory on the men’s side. For the Austrian pair, the journey to gold has been nothing short of tumultuous, with highs and lows punctuating their season. From a bronze medal at the La Paz Challenge to battling through qualifiers in Futures events, their resilience has been unmatched. Now, with their second gold of the fall season, they’ve soared to new heights, ascending to No. 3 in the main draw and surpassing formidable competitors in the Olympic rankings.

While Graudina/Samoilova and Pristauz/Seidl bask in their golden glory, Australians Thomas Hodges and Zachery Schubert settle for silver, continuing their meteoric rise through the ranks. With three medals of varying hues under their belt, including the prestigious 800-point Asian Championships, they’ve made significant strides, climbing to No. 9 in the Olympic rankings. Though their qualification is not yet assured, their remarkable achievements speak volumes about their potential to leave an indelible mark on the Olympic stage.

Women’s Beach Volleyball Olympic Rankings
(updated December 4 after the Volleyball World Nuvali Challenge)

1. Duda Lisboa, Ana Patricia Silva, BRAZIL, 11060 (10)
2. Kristen Nuss, Taryn Kloth, USA, 10260 (11)
3. Carolina Salgado, Barbara Seixas, BRAZIL, 9600 (12)
4. Kelly Cheng, Sara Hughes, USA, 9040 (10)
5. Raisa Schoon, Katja Stam, NETHERLANDS, 8240 (11)
6. Melissa Humana-Paredes, Brandie Wilkerson, CANADA, 7760 (9)
7. Xinyi Xia, Chen Xue, CHINA, 7740 (11)
8. Victoria Lopes, Taina Silva, BRAZIL, 7720 (12)
9. Tina Graudina, Anastasija Samoilova, LATVIA, 7680 (12)
10. Valentina Gottardi, Marta Menegatti, ITALY, 7440 (11)
11. Svenja Muller, Cinja Tillman, GERMANY, 6900 (10)
12. Mariafe Artacho, Taliqua Clancy, AUSTRALIA, 6780 (8)
13. Esmee Bobner, Zoe Verge-Depre, SWITZERLAND, 6760 (12)
14. Betsi Flint, Julia Scoles, USA, 6740 (11)
15. Anouk Verge-Depre, Joana Mader, SWITZERLAND, 6740 (12)
16. Agatha, Rebecca, BRAZIL, 6720 (11)
17. Daniela Alvarez, Tania Moreno, SPAIN, 6600 (12)
18. Lezana Placette, Alexia Richard, FRANCE, 6560 (12)
19. Nina Brunner, Tanja Huberli, SWITZERLAND, 6340 (8)
20. Andressa Cavalcanti, Vitoria De Souza, BRAZIL, 6240 (12)
21. Monika Paulikiene, Aine Raupelyte, LITHUANIA, 6100 (12)
22. Niina Ahtiainen, Taru Lahti, FINLAND, 5760 (12)
23. Karla Borger, Sandra Ittlinger, GERMANY, 5620 (12)
24. Jagoda Gruszczynska, Ola Wachowicz, POLAND, 5620 (12)
25. Dorina Klinger, Ronja Klinger, AUSTRIA, 5500 (12)
26. Barbora Hermannova, Marie-Sara Stochlova, CZECH REPUBLIC, 5220 (11)
27. Laura Ludwig, Louisa Lippmann, GERMANY, 4980 (9)
28. Sarah Pavan, Molly McBain, CANADA, 4940 (10)
29. Jie Dong, Fan Wang, CHINA, 4620 (11)
30. Lili Fernandez, Paula Soria, SPAIN, 4620 (12)
31. Miki Ishii, Sayaka Mizoe, JAPAN, 4300 (10)
32. Worapeerachayakorn Kongphopsarutawadee, Taravadee Naraphornrapat, THAILAND, 4260 (9)

Men’s Beach Volleyball Olympic Rankings
(updated December 4 after the Volleyball World Nuvali Challenge)

1. Anders Mol, Christian Sorum, NORWAY, 9460 (9)
2. David Ahman, Jonatan Hellvig, SWEDEN, 8920 (8)
3. Sam Cottafava, Paolo Nicolai, ITALY, 8440 (12)
4. Andre Loyola, George Wanderley, BRAZIL, 8340 (12)
5. Nils Ehlers, Clemens Wickler, GERMANY, 8200 (11)
6. Evandro Goncalves, Arthur Mariano, BRAZIL, 7800 (12)
7. Alex Brouwer, Robert Meeuwsen, NETHERLANDS, 7560 (11)
8. Adrian Gavira, Pablo Herrera, SPAIN, 7500 (12)
9. Thomas Hodges, Zachery Schubert, AUSTRALIA, 7260 (12)
10. Julian Horl, Alex Horst, AUSTRIA, 7060 (12)
11. Ondrej Perusic, David Schweiner, Czech Republic, 7020 (7)
12. Adrian Carambula, Alex Ranghieri, ITALY, 6920 (10)
13. Theo Brunner, Trevor Crabb, USA, 6920 (12)
14. Andy Benesh, Miles Partain, USA, 6900 (8)
15. Michal Bryl, Bartosz Losiak, POLAND, 6480 (8)
16. Matthew Immers, Steven van de Velde, NETHERLANDS, 6480 (12)
17. Chase Budinger, Miles Evans, USA, 6480 (12)
18. Cherif Samba, Ahmed Tijan, QATAR, 6440 (9)
19. Vitor Felipe, Renato Lima, BRAZIL, 6440 (12)
20. Esteban Grimalt, Marco Grimalt, CHILE, 6440 (12)
21. Moritz Pristauz, Robin Seidl, AUSTRIA, 6160 (12)
22. Tri Bourne, Chaim Schalk, USA, 6080 (12)
23. Pedro Solberg, Guto Carvalhaes, BRAZIL, 5740 (9)
24. Piotr Kantor, Jakub Zdybek, POLAND, 5520 (11)
25. Paul Burnett, Chris McHugh, AUSTRALIA, 5460 (12)
26. Stefan Boermans, Yorick de Groot, NETHERLANDS, 5440 (7)
27. Daniele Lupo, Enrico Rossi, ITALY, 5340 (12)
28. Hendrik Mol, Mathias Berntsen, NORWAY, 5090 (11)
29. Hugo Campos, Joao Pedrosa, PORTUGAL, 5040 (12)
30. Florian Breer, Marco Krattiger, SWITZERLAND, 4820 (12)
31. Mark Nicolaidis, Izac Carracher, AUSTRALIA, 4700 (12)
32. Nico Capogrosso, Tomas Capogrosso, ARGENTINA, 4420 (11)