21/08/2014 12:30
Norwegian stars to defend local honor and tradition in Kristiansand
2014 CEV U18 Beach Volleyball European Championship
Kristiansand, Norway, August 21, 2014. As the ball started flying over the idyllic Norwegian city of Kristiansand for the 2014 CEV U18 Beach Volleyball European Championship, the attention of the local fans was indisputably focused on six young teams of players; twelve local stars in the making who will receive this week the mission of not only defending the honor of the organizing country in the event, but to also maintain the tradition of Norwegian splendor in Beach Volleyball.
Norway’ aspirations in the boys' tournament will be spearheaded by Martin Kløvfjell Olimstad and Aleksander Sandlie Sørum, Jonas Hjelle van Weert and Ivan Loland Råheim and by Oscar Saether and Markus Hansen. Sixteen-year old Oimstad and Sørum will aim for glory in Kristiansand after debuting as a team in international competition this year in the FIVB U19 World Championship in Porto. The young duo did not pass the qualification round, but they expect to count on the support of family and friends to cause an impression on home ground. “Everything is a bit easier for us because we know the surroundings. We can be more focused on the game and on what we should do. Playing at home is huge for us!”, stated Aleksander Sandlie Sørum, who represented Norway in the 2013 edition of the CEV U18 European Championship, pairing with Anders Mol and achieving a meritorious ninth place in the competition. “It is a big advantage to play at home. We do not have to waste time analyzing the conditions, as we already know them. We have many small goals, but qualifying to the second round is one of them. We hope to reach the semifinals”, said Martin Kløvfjell Olimstad.
With great confidence 16-year old Oscar Saether and Markus Hansen will make their first appearance in international competition on home ground. The young stars in the making hope to continue the winning streak initiated on domestic tournaments this year. In fact, the young duo trained by Markus Hansen’s father Robert achieved an impressive record in the Norwegian Under 17 tournament and also in the Under 19 competition, earning a sensational double crown in both events held two weeks ago in the same venue of Kristiansand where the European Championship is taking place. “(The national championship) was a tough tournament for us, but we played very well and we were very excited about winning”, expressed Oscar Saether. “Kristiansand is our home court so we hope it will give us some advantage”. “It is our first time playing at this level, so it is going to be very fun”, said teammate Markus Hansen, who acknowledged that the fact of having his father as a coach is very positive for the duo. “He really knows how we play and what we can do, so it is very good for us”, he added.
In the meantime, 16-year old Jonas Hjelle van Weert and 17-year old Ivar Loland Råheim expect to maintain their progression after their debut in national Beach Volleyball competitions, while keeping their expectations high. “I don’t really know what the level of the rest of the teams is, but I do hope that we will be able to beat them”, commented Jonas Hjelle van Weert. “It is really a big deal for us to play at home in front of many supporters; people from my club and my family are coming, so it is great to play here; I am a little bit nervous, but I think that this will help”, commented Ivar Loland Råheim.
“To fight for Norway, with the flag on our chest”
In the girls' tournament, the local representation will be borne by Hannah Sofie Perrens and Sunniva Helland-Hansen, Vilde Sørbø and Helene Solgaard Thelle, and by Live Johanne Lunde Fossdal and Kirstine Larsdatter Garder. Seventeen-year old Sofie Perrens and Sunniva Helland-Hansen form a promising duo declared Norway’s Under 17 and Under 18 national champion for last two seasons who aim to cause a sensation in Kristiansand. “It is very nice to be here, and we really hope to progress from the pool round. We are fighting not just for ourselves, but also for Norway, with our country flag on our chest”, said Hannah Sofie Perrens, who also stars in the national Volleyball team. The two players started their international career last year in the CEV Youth Continental Cup and this season they achieved 17th place in FIVB U19 World Championship. “I am very excited, as this is the season's highlight”, commented Sunniva Helland-Hansen.
Furthermore, 17-year old Live Johanne Lunde Fossdal pairs with 15-year old Kirstine Larsdatter Garder with the intention of surprising rivals in Gimle Sandbaner Sports Center. The young local players are aware of the difficulty of playing in a major international event against the best teams of the continent. “We are hoping to achieve good performances, but we do not have real expectations to win many games. We'll just try to do our best”, admitted Live Johanne Lunde Fossdal, while her teammate focused on the importance of their debut in international competition. “I'm looking forward to play against various nations and see what their level really is”, stated Kirstine Larsdatter Garder.
With the same level of anticipation, 17-year old Vilde Sørbø and 16-year old Helene Solgaard Thelle face the event after competing in the FIVB U19 World Championship in Porto and following their promising performances in domestic tournaments, as they will use the opportunity to shine in front of family in friends. “It is great and extra exciting that we are at home. I’m looking forward to getting started”, said Helene Thelle. “Our expectations are to be at our best. We will hope to take it from there, hoping to get out of the pool round”, expressed Vilde Sørbø.
All six teams will not only receive the support of family and fans, but they will also have the chance to lean on the ample history of success in Beach Volleyball of the Scandinavian country. The Beach Volleyball upcoming stars will try to extend the victorious tradition initiated in senior major international continental competitions by Norwegian world-class figures like, among other notorious successes, Jan Kvalheim and Bjørn Maaseide, who were proclaimed European Champions in 1994; Vegard Høidalen and Jørre André Kjemperud, continental champions in 1997, or Nila Håkedal/Ingrid Tørlen, Susanne Glesnes/Kathrine Maaseide, and Merita Berntsen/Ragni Hestad, all of them European Championship runner-ups in 2008, 2004 and 1995, respectively.
Whatever the outcome, the 2014 CEV U18 Beach Volleyball European Championship will be a remarkable event for Norway, as never before in the history of the Nordic country six duos will fight for gold in an age Continental tournament, thus representing an exciting new beginning for the sport in Norway.
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