19/06/2016 17:23
Second gold in a row for Norway in #EuroBeachVolleyU20 men’s competition
2016 CEV U20 Beach Volleyball European Championship
Antalya, Turkey, June 19, 2016. On Sunday afternoon, Anders Berntsen Mol and Aleksander Sandlie Sørum were crowned the eventual gold medal winners at the 2016 CEV U20 Beach Volleyball European Championship in Antalya. The Norwegians beat Vasilii Ivanov and Aleksandr Kramarenko from Russia in the final 2-0 (25-23, 21-18). For Anders Berntsen Mol it was his second gold medal in a row, after winning gold last year along with his cousin Mathias Berntsen. Florian Breer and Yves Haussener from Switzerland conquered the bronze medal to complete the podium.
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Semi-finals
The first men’s team to qualify for the final on Sunday was Russia. Vasilii Ivanov and Aleksandr Kramarenko proved to be too strong for the talented Latvian youngsters Kristaps Smits and Atvars Ozolins. The strong Russians got the job done in two sets (21-18, 21-12), hence saving some important energy for the final.
In the other semi-final Anders Berntsen Mol and Aleksander Sandlie Sørum from Norway prevailed after beating Florian Breer and Yves Haussener from Switzerland 2-0 (21-18, 21-16). By winning the semi-final, Berntsen Mol, who won gold at the 2015 CEV U20 Beach Volleyball European Championship with his cousin Mathias, kept his dream of a back-to-back title alive.
Bronze medal match
In the ‘small final’ the Swiss duo Florian Breer and Yves Haussener claimed the bronze medal after a quick 2-0 (21-9, 21-14) victory over the Latvians Kristaps Smits and Atvars Ozolins. It was not the first time the Swiss guys were decorated in an international tournament. Breer and Haussener won bronze at the 2015 CEV U18 Beach Volleyball European Championship and gold at the 2014 U17 World Championships.
“We played such a good tournament, with a lot of clear victories,” Yves Haussener said after winning bronze. “Only in the semi-final we didn’t play our best Beach Volleyball. I’m glad we were able to re-focus on the bronze medal match after this disappointing loss. It’s not every day you get the chance to win a medal on an important international tournament like this. We really want to thank our trainer Erwin Sebestyen for all his support. Without him this wouldn’t have been possible.”
Final
In the exciting final between Norway and Russia, the end phase of the first set was crucial to determine what was going to follow in the remainder of the match. It was reigning champion Anders Berntsen Mol who closed it out 25-23, bringing his team a 1-0 lead.
In the second set the Norwegians continued playing amazing Beach Volleyball. The Turkish crowd was treated with an electrifying mix of strength and cleverness. Norway claimed the gold medal by winning the second set 21-18. For Anders Berntsen Mol it was the second straight gold medal at the CEV U20 Beach Volleyball European Championship. His teammate Aleksander Sandlie Sørum made his parents incredibly proud. After they saw their elder son Christian win gold at the 2014 CEV U22 Beach Volleyball European Championship in Fethiye, also in Turkey, they now have two kids with a golden European medal.
“This is amazing,” Aleksander Sandlie Sørum reacted after winning the final. “We were so mentally strong throughout the entire tournament. I think that this is the most important reason why we are standing here with the gold medal.”
Final ranking (first 8):
1. Sørum/Mol (NOR)
2. Ivanov/Kramarenko (RUS)
3. Breer/Haussener (SUI)
4. Smits/Ozolins (LAT)
5. Thole/Winter (GER)
6. Jiménez/Huerta (ESP)
7. Penninga/Blom (NED)
8. Kaszewiak/Paszkowski (POL)
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