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2018-04-22 04:55:00 CET

With the nation on their backs

When they compete in the Gstaad Major in July, Beeler and Krattiger will be carrying the medal hopes of Swiss fans

Krattiger and Beeler are together since 2017 and they have a pair of top-10 finishes in the Beach Major Series (Photocredit: FIVB)Krattiger and Beeler are together since 2017 and they have a pair of top-10 finishes in the Beach Major Series (Photocredit: FIVB)

One of the most amazing feelings a beach volleyball fan can ever experience is watching its favorite team win a medal while playing on home soil. With the Beach Major Series set to resume in Gstaad in less than three months, Swiss supporters are the next in line to flirt with this exciting possibility.

However, if a men’s team from Switzerland climbs the podium in the Alps in July, it will end a 14-year wait for the local fans. The last time a home team won a medal in the Swiss village was back in 2004, when Patrick Heuscher and Stefan Kobel topped the podium in Gstaad. A few weeks later, the duo claimed the bronze medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

The Swiss duo had the support of a crowded Red Bull Beach Arena in the 2017 Gstaad Major (Photocredit: FIVB)The Swiss duo had the support of a crowded Red Bull Beach Arena in the 2017 Gstaad Major (Photocredit: FIVB)

If any Swiss team is to end the podium draught the country is going through when competing at home in 2018, it should be 25-year-old Nico Beeler and 23-year-old Marco Krattiger, the 23rd ranked team in the World Tour rankings, to do so.

The young players joined forces in 2017 and quickly became the main tandem of the country competing in the World Tour. Last season, they paired for three Beach Major Series events and had top-10 finishes in two of them – Fort Lauderdale and Gstaad.

Some offseason motivation! The gstaadmajor memories motivate me to push even harder 👊🏾💪🏾🤘🏾🤙🏾

566 Likes, 29 Comments - Marco Krattiger (@marcokrattiger) on Instagram: "Some offseason motivation! The gstaadmajor memories motivate me to push even harder 👊🏾💪🏾🤘🏾🤙🏾"

Over the course of the year, they had victories over some impressive teams, such as Canada’s Ben Saxton/Chaim Schalk, USA’s Trevor Crabb/Sean Rosenthal and Brazil’s Alvaro Filho/Saymon Barbosa and Pedro Solberg/Guto Carvalhaes.

As the 2018 started, Beeler and Krattiger seem to be in the verge of posting a major upset against one of the best teams in the planet. In three World Tour tournaments played, they have taken Brazilian Olympic champions Alison Cerutti, Dutch Olympic bronze medalists Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen and Latvia’s up-and-comers Martins Plavins and Edgars Tocs all to three sets.

Tough loss against the podium-experienced Latvian🇱🇻 17th Place it is... overall another step in the right direction!💪🏼 #ftlmajor * * * * @dazod @myvolleywood @fivb @beachmajorseries @schweizersporthilfe @swissvolley @blick.ch @srfsport @spectacularvolleyball @volleyballpictures1 @volleyball_love_gram @volleyball_for_lifes @power.volleyball @psvolley @volley_pictures @beachvolleyballworld

304 Likes, 3 Comments - Nico Beeler (@nicobeeler) on Instagram: "Tough loss against the podium-experienced Latvian🇱🇻 17th Place it is... overall another step in the..."

In the first weekend of April, Beeler and Krattiger marched to the final of the first event of the Swiss Tour, in Zurich. They were defeated by Brouwer and Meeuwsen, who were invited, but took the Dutch to three sets again (17-21, 21-18, 23-21).

Only details are separating the young Swiss from competing for medals in the Beach Major Series and perhaps the home support can do the trick. If that’s the case, Gstaad fans would be very welcome! 

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