05/08/2014 14:39
Swiss stars ready to challenge Europe’s elite at Biel/Bienne Masters
2014 CEV Beach Volleyball European Championship – Biel/Bienne Masters
Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, August 5, 2014. The best Swiss Beach Volleyball teams, led by 2012 Olympians Nadine Zumkehr and Sébastien Chevallier as well as by 2014 European Championship silver medallists Tanja Goricanec/Tanja Hüberli are ready to compete with Europe’s elite at the Biel/Bienne Masters, also known as Beachmania. The tournament is the fourth stop of this year’s CEV Beach Volleyball European Championship and apart from prize money and FIVB ranking points, there will be even more at stake since the winners of the men’s tournament as well as the first and second ranked tandems of the women’s competition will claim a spot for their country in next year’s FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in the Netherlands.
Hometown heroine and Beachmania ambassador Nadine Zumkehr, who lives just one step away from the beautiful centre court on the beach of Lake Biel, sounds confident ahead of the upcoming Beachmania after performing very strong on the FIVB World Tour where she and partner Joana Heidrich made it to the top ten in each of the last five events in Stavanger, Gstaad, The Hague, Long Beach, and Klagenfurt. However, 2014 European vice-champions Tanja Goricanec and Tanja Hüberli, who caused a sensation by making the final of the tournament held in Cagliari last June, are also wanting to leave their mark at this home tournament.
Spain’s Liliana Fernandez Steiner and Elsa Baquerizo McMillan as well as Slovakia’s rising stars Natalia Dubovcova and Dominika Nestarcova are the main threats for the Swiss armada. Liliana and Baquerizo won the silver medal at last year’s CEV Beach Volleyball European Championship in Klagenfurt and have had strong performances throughout the current season where they also finished second at the CEV Baden Masters in early June. Swiss youngsters Nina Betschart and Nicole Eiholzer, the reigning U20 European champions, have their eyes set on an additional spot in the main draw for the host country.
The fans that will gather on the shores of Lake Biel for the Beachmania are also looking forward to a big duel in the men’s main draw; 2013 European champions Pablo Herrera/Adrian Gavira of Spain want to take their revenge from Austria’s Clemens Doppler and Alexander Horst who claimed the bronze medal match at the CEV Beach Volleyball European Championship earlier this year in Cagliari. However, the Swiss hosts led by Philip Gabathuler and Mirco Gerson, who have claimed bronze medals in the 2014 FIVB World Tour, want to challenge their strong international favourites. The Beachmania is even more important for Sébastien Chevallier – the Swiss will play under the eyes of his former mentor and teammate Sascha Heyer, who works as Tournament Director at the Biel/Bienne Masters.
Further on, there will be a big comeback to the European elite for Dutch legend Reinder Nummerdor. The three-time European champion and his young teammate Steven van de Velde got a wild card to join the Biel/Bienne Masters. The 38-year old veteran wants to prove himself after the retirement of his long-time partner Richard Schuil playing now with one of the rising stars of Dutch Beach Volleyball on his side.
For further information click here or visit the official website www.beachmania.ch
An additional extra camera has been installed on the centre court of the Biel/Bienne Masters for all those who want to follow the latest steps of the preparations there on the shores of Lake Biel. Visit the official website of the tournament to have a look at what’s going on there!
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