01/09/2019 16:00
Anders Mol beats little bro Markus in Oslo final, three siblings stand on podium
2019 FIVB World Tour 1-Star - Oslo
Oslo, Norway, September 1, 2019. In a historic World Tour final in Oslo, Norway Beach Volley Viking Anders Mol together with Nils Ringøen (18), his partner for this week, won the gold medal after defeating Christian Sørum and Markus Mol (17) 2-0 (21-16, 21-18) in the final at Jernbanetorget in the centre of the Norwegian capital city.
Mol and Sørum split up this week to help young Norwegian players get experience and ranking points. Very few actually thought the two pairs could go all the way to the finals, but eventually they did so. They developed almost through every ball they played, with the semi-final win 2-0 (23-21, 21-17) over Hendrik Mol/Mathias Berntsen as the highlight for Sørum/Markus Mol. Mol/Ringøen kept the good vibrations all the way to the final, leaving no doubt as to which team was the best.
“It was a great final in a wonderful atmosphere,” Anders Mol said after the medal ceremony. He admitted that it was not in his mind they could reach the final. “I thought our partnership was too fresh, too unstable but Nils played with such a confidence, almost from the start of the tournament. Amazing,” Anders said.
Anders Mol spiking past the block of his little brother Markus in the Oslo final.
Did you have your own little goal for the final, except from winning the gold medal? “Yes indeed, I did not want to be blocked by my little brother. He tried hard, but I managed to reach my goal. That felt good! Otherwise, I would have heard it for years!” Anders continued.
The finals in Oslo were played in front of some 1,500 spectators at the very intimate arena at Jernbanetorget. Together with them, there were several thousands of people passing by on their way to or from Oslo’s Central Station. Many of them stopped for a set or a match.
Third-seeded Hendrik Mol/Mathias Berntsen got their bronze medals defeating Lars Tveit Retterholt/Daniel Bergerud 2-0 (23-21, 21-10) in the small final. That made the finals in Oslo even more historic. Not only was this the first time in World Tour history that the world’s top ranked players met as opponents in a final while they are still playing together. It is also the first time in World Tour history three brothers stand on the same podium: Anders Mol with gold, Markus and Hendrik with silver and bronze, respectively.
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