The Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures event in Montpellier, France, wrapped up recently, delivering a mix of thrilling upsets and confirmation of burgeoning talent. For two players, the sand courts of Montpellier marked a career-defining moment: their first gold medals on the Beach Pro Tour. The podiums featured a truly international flavor, with teams from France, Spain, Austria, and the USA showcasing their skills.
Men`s Tournament: Home Glory and Veteran Challenges
The men`s competition culminated in a victory that sent the local fans into a frenzy. Joadel Gardoque, 22, and his partner Elouan Chouikh-Barbez, 23, stood atop the podium, securing the gold medal for France. For Gardoque, this was not just his first gold, but his first medal *of any color* on the Beach Pro Tour. Chouikh-Barbez, with one previous gold to his name, provided a steady hand as the top-seeded French pair went undefeated throughout their five matches.
Their journey included a solid 2-0 victory in the semifinal against Spanish hopefuls Alvaro Viera and Antonio Saucedo. The final presented a sterner test against the experienced Austrian Olympians Robin Seidl and Alexander Huber. Chouikh & Gardoque demonstrated resilience, bouncing back from losing the first set to clinch a 2-1 victory (16-21, 22-20, 15-12). Defeating Olympians for a first-time gold? That`s certainly a way to make an entrance.
The Austrians, Seidl & Huber, had reached the final with a 2-0 win over their compatriots Felix Friedl & Florian Schnetzer in the other semifinal. This silver medal marked their fourth podium finish on the Beach Pro Tour since reuniting for the season, adding another silver to their collection of two bronzes.
The bronze medal match was an all-Spanish affair after the semifinals. Viera & Saucedo secured their second consecutive bronze medal on the Tour, following their third-place finish at the Malmo Futures, by defeating Friedl & Schnetzer 2-0 (21-16, 21-13).
Women`s Tournament: A Teenager`s Golden Debut and Remarkable Consistency
The women`s side of the draw saw a significant milestone for Spanish beach volleyball. 19-year-old Sofia Izuzquiza, who had previously earned silver at the FIVB U19 World Championship, achieved her maiden Beach Pro Tour medal, and it was the most coveted one. Partnering with Sofia Gonzalez, who contributed her experience from a BPT gold won three years ago, the duo claimed their second Tour podium finish together after a bronze in Krakow last month.
Their path to the final was remarkably smooth, with four straight-set victories. The final against the top-seeded French pair, Elsa Descamps and Anouk Dupin, proved to be a tougher test, going to three sets. Despite dropping their first set of the tournament, Izuzquiza & Gonzalez regrouped to win 2-1 (21-17, 14-21, 15-9), securing the gold.
For the French silver medalists, Descamps & Dupin, this marked their first Beach Pro Tour medal as a team. However, Anouk Dupin`s season has been nothing short of spectacular. This silver adds to her incredible run of reaching the podium in all five of her Tour appearances this year, a streak achieved with four different partners. Some players find a partner; Dupin seems to find a medal regardless of who`s on the other side of the net.
The bronze medal went to the American qualifying team of Alexis Durish and Audrey Koenig, both 21. Their performance was particularly noteworthy as this was only their second Beach Pro Tour event, following a gold medal win in Geneva the previous week. They extended their winning streak, which began in the Montpellier qualifications, to an impressive 12 matches before being stopped by the eventual champions in the semifinal. They secured the bronze with a convincing 2-0 victory (21-16, 21-14) over the Czech pair Martina Maixnerova & Kylie Neuschaeferova in the third-place playoff.
The Montpellier Futures saw a competitive field with 25 men`s and 26 women`s teams representing 21 different countries. The tour now moves to Leuven, Belgium, for the next Futures event scheduled from July 18 to 21, promising more exciting beach volleyball action.
