Following the celebration of the Poreč Major, which concluded on 3 July, the Swatch Major Beach Volleyball Series is celebrating its third tournament in 2016 titled the Gstaad Major.
The series began on 5 July in the Swiss city of Gstaad.
The first tournament of the series took place in Hamburg. It was the first time for the German port city to host a Swatch Beach Volleyball Major Series.
In the Hamburg Major, the American duo Nick Lucena and Phil Dalhausser won the gold medal by earning 800 points. They received prize money of $57,000.
Dutch duo Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen won the silver medal, earning 720 points and received prize money worth $43,000.
The bronze medal went to the Russian duo Viacheslav Krasilnikov and Konstantin Semenov, who earned 640 points and received prize money worth $32,000.
As for the Hamburg Major’s women’s competitions, German duo Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst won first place by earning 800 points and received prize money worth $57,000.
Although first place went to Germany, Brazil had its share of success as it won both the silver and bronze medals. The silver medal went to Brazilians Agatha Bednarczuk Rippel and Barbara Seixas De Freitas, who earned 720 points and received prize money worth $43,000.
The bronze medal went to Brazilians Larissa Franca and Talita Da Rocha Antunes, who earned 640 points and received prize money worth $32.000.
Unlike other sports tournaments, the Swatch Major Beach Volleyball Series’ women’s awards are equal to the ones received in the men’s categories.
Moving on to the Poreč Major in Croatia, the Brazilian duo of Alison Conte Cerutti and Bruno Oscar Schmidt, who won the fourth place in the Hamburg Major, came out on top, winning the Poreč Major’s gold medal.
The silver medal went to the Austrian duo Clemens Doppler and Alexander Horst. Canadian duo Chaim Schalk and Ben Saxton won the bronze medal.
Germany dominated the women’s competitions in the Poreč Major. German duos took first and second place with Julia Sude and Chantal Laboureur winning first, and Karla Borger and Britta Büthe won the bronze medal.
Second place went to the Canadian duo Sarah Pavan and Heather Bansley.
In the Gstaad Major, teams from all over the world came to the picturesque alpine Swiss city of Gstaad to take part in the prestigious tournament, which has been held in Gstaad since 2000.
Players from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey, and the US are competing in the Gstaad Major, which will end 10 July.
The only African country participating is South Africa, unlike the Poreč Major, where the only African country was Ghana.
At the end of July, after the Gstaad Major, the Austrian city of Klagenfurt am Wörthersee will host the fourth tournament of the Swatch Major Beach Volleyball Series, titled A1 Major Klagenfurt.
