Beach Shorts: The week in the sands of the world

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Joana Heidrich and Anouk Vergé-Dépré are the reigning Swiss champions

We are back! After one week, your column Beach Shorts returns with all the news in the beach volleyball world. Prepare for busy times as tournaments will take place in Switzerland, Thailand and Ecuador in the next few days – and, of course, we got you covered!

Here is what we have in stock for you this week:

Swiss Tour ready to start

The Swiss National Tour starts this weekend, with the first of seven tournaments scheduled for 2018 happening in the Zurich Central Station. The tournament will reunite 10 teams in each gender, including local stars Joana Heidrich/Anouk Vérge-Dépré, Tanja Hüberli/Nina Betschart and Marco Krattiger/Nico Beeler. Four international teams were invited to the event – the Netherlands’ Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen and Christiaan Varenhorst/Jasper Bouter, Germany’s Kim Behrens/Sandra Ittlinger and Spain’s Amaranta Navarro/Angela Lobato.

Tomorrow, we'll be back to where it all started in 2016😎😍👉 Coop Beachtour Zürich HB!! First game at 9pm🤗 (schedule👉 link in my bio) Can't wait to play again and hope to see you all out there this weekend😉😊🎊🎉 (livestream: www.laola1.tv) * * * * #beachvolleyball #coop #coopbeachtour #zürich #zurich #zürichhb #home #nationaltour #pumped

409 Likes, 8 Comments - Tanja Hüberli (@tanjahueberli) on Instagram: "Tomorrow, we'll be back to where it all started in 2016😎😍👉 Coop Beachtour Zürich HB!! First game at..."

World Tour returns in Thailand

After a three-week break, the World Tour returns to action next week, from April 8 to 11, in the city of Satun, Thailand, which will host a one-star tournament at the Pak Bara Beach. A total of 75 teams are registered to compete in the double-gender event in the Asian country and among them are some popular names, such as Spain’s Raul Mesa/Christian Garcia, Austria’s Florian Schnetzer/Daniel Mullner, Japan’s Sayaka Mizoe/Suzuka Hashimoto and USA’s Amanda Dowdy/Irene Pollock.

Spanish Olympian Raul Mesa is the most experienced player in the tournament in Thailand (Photocredit: FIVB)

Youth Olympic Games spots in dispute in South America

The sands of Salinas, Ecuador, host this weekend the fourth and final event of the South American qualification tournament for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, that happen in October. Nine countries – Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela and Uruguay - from the continent will be represented in the competition for athletes up to 18 years-old. Five spots are in contest and Argentina, the host of the Youth Olympics, is already guaranteed. The event will also define the final rankings of South America for the 201 Under-19 World Championships.

CSV on Twitter

¡Se viene la cuarta parada clasificatória YOG! Será en Salinas, Ecuador este próximo fin de semana. Las chicas locales Ariana Castro y Jasmin Suárea entrenaron duro en California, EUA y están bastante optimistas. ¡BUENA VIBRA, Chicas! https://t.co/tShZzKtQW4

Social Media: Back Volleyball

Several European teams are in Tenerife, Spain, preparing for the sequence of the World Tour and some of them are using the time available after training to, let’s say, be creative. Germany’s Margareta Kozuch and Karla Borger and Poland’s Kinga Kolonsinska thought playing regular beach volleyball wasn’t enough, so they decided to add a new level of challenge to it.That was funny, ladies! 

I takim miłym akcentem kończymy obóz na Teneryfie 😅💦🤸🏽‍♀️ Good job girls @beachteamborgerkozuch 🤣🤣 #camp #tenerife #practice #circus #beachlife #beachgirls #sun #fun

273 Likes, 10 Comments - Kinga Kolosinska (@kinga_kolosinska) on Instagram: "I takim miłym akcentem kończymy obóz na Teneryfie 😅💦🤸🏽‍♀️ Good job girls @beachteamborgerkozuch 🤣🤣..."

In case you missed it

The Commonwealth Games are on!

American teams have changed a lot since Fort Lauderdale – keep track!

Carol/Maria Antonelli and Agatha/Duda clash for the Brazilian title

See you next week!