The veterans were among the several national champions crowned this weekend

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Horst and Doppler are the 2018 Austrian champions (Photocredit: Austrian Beach Tour)

Clemens Doppler and Alexander Horst added another piece of silverware to their collection this week as the silver medalists of the 2017 World Championships were crowned the 2018 Austrian champions. Besides of the veterans, other European tandems claimed national titles around Europe in the first weekend after the end of the 2017-2018 World Tour season.

To prevail in their home sand of Litzlberg, Doppler and Horst needed three sets (21-14, 27-29, 15-11) to defeat Robin Seidl and Philipp Waller in the gold medal match. Also in three sets (20-22, 21-19, 15-7), Daniel Müllner and Florian Schnetzer claimed bronze over Moritz Pristauz and Alexander Huber.

“It’s incredibly good to win here in Litzlberg and to see people are coming to enjoy the sport,” Doppler said.

GOLD it is! Dritter gemeinsamer Staatsmeistertitel! Danke Litzlberg am Attersee, schön wars! #probeachbattle #keepmovingkeepticking #hyponoesportfamilie

764 Likes, 11 Comments - BV Team Doppler/Horst (@doppler.horst) on Instagram: "GOLD it is! Dritter gemeinsamer Staatsmeistertitel! Danke Litzlberg am Attersee, schön wars!..."

The women’s title was won by Katharina Almer and Daniela Fankhauser, who came out on top in a very close three-set battle (23-25, 21-15, 21-19) with the Klinger sisters Dorina and Ronja. Valerie Teufl and Eva Freiberger finished third after they posted a straight-set (21-15, 21-16) victory over the provisory tandem of Lena Plesiutschnig and Teresa Strauss.

Veterans on top in Russia

The Russian Tour also determined its 2018 champions and the veteran duos of Viacheslav Krasilnikov/Nikita Liamin and Evgeniya Ukolova/Ekaterina Birlova topped the podium in Anapa.

Among the men, Krasilnikov and Liamin claimed the title with a two-set (21-18, 21-15) victory over Konstantin Semenov and Ilya Leshukov. Youngsters Oleg Stoyanovskiy and Igor Velichko won bronze following a 21-18, 22-20 triumph over Ruslan Bykanov and Maksim Hudyakov.

In the women’s event, two-time Olympians Ukolova and Birlova were the winners after they posted a three-set (19-21, 21-16, 15-7) victory over Alexandra Moiseeva and Ekaterina Syrtseva. Up-and-comers Maria Voronina and Mariia Bocharova finished third after a 21-17, 21-16 win over Svetlana Kholomina and Elena Fedyunova.

В "Волей Граде" (Витязево под Анапой Краснодарского края) 26 августа завершился финальный этап чемпионата России 2018 по пляжному волейболу. Победители: мужчины - "Факел", Новый Уренгой (Вячеслав Красильников / Никита Лямин); женщины - "Динамо", Москва (Екатерина Бирлова / Евгения Уколова). Причем Уколова стала единоличным лидером у женщин по числу титулов чемпионки России - шесть! Серебряными призерами стала пара из ВК Подмосковье (Семенов/Лешуков), бронза у ВК Обнинск (Величко И./Стояновский) В женской части соревнования серебряные медали завоевал ВК Подмосковье (Моисеева/Сырцева), бронзу ВК Обнинск (Бочарова/Воронина).

593 Likes, 1 Comments - ВФВ (@volley_rus) on Instagram: "В "Волей Граде" (Витязево под Анапой Краснодарского края) 26 августа завершился финальный этап..."

Stubbe/van Iersel triumph in the Netherlands

The Dutch Tour was another one to end its season and the duos of Marleen van Iersel/Joy Stubbe and Dirk Boehlé /Steven van de Velde finished the year on top in the Hague.

World Tour regulars Stubbe and van Iersel won the national title with a 21-16, 19-21, 15-7 victory over Laura Bloem and Jolien Sinnema in the final. Veterans Marloes Wesselink and Sophie van Gestel won bronze after a three-set (17-21, 21-13, 15-7) triumph over Katja Stam and Julia Wouters. European champions Sanne Keizer and Madelein Meppelink finished ninth after they exited the tournament due to an injury.

 Boehlé and van de Velde claimed the men’s title with a 21-17, 21-9 victory over Ruben Penninga and Tom van Steenis in the final. Eargenell de Cuba and Bas Verpooten were third after Dutch stars Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen forfeited their semifinal and bronze medal matches because of an injury.

Yesss Dutch Champions 2018!!! 🥇🏆🎉 * Thank you family, partners, team, friends, fans and everyone that has helped us this year in any way. You all deserve a piece of this title! Most of all thank you Joy for the fun battles these last two days 😘. I think we deserve a little vacation now! * #discoveryoursmile #vanhiertottokyo #voorelkaar #stopmenowfortwoweeks😉 #dutchlions

388 Likes, 17 Comments - Marleen Ramond-van Iersel (@marleenvaniersel) on Instagram: "Yesss Dutch Champions 2018!!! 🥇🏆🎉 * Thank you family, partners, team, friends, fans and everyone..."

Beeler and Krattiger victorious in Rorschach

In Switzerland, the national tour completed its second-to-last event with the team of Nico Beeler/Marco Krattiger and the German duo of Teresa Mersmann/Cinja Tillmann claiming the gold medals in Rorschach.

Beeler and Krattiger dominated the men’s tournament and sealed their victorious weekend with a three-set (21-17, 19-21, 15-12) triumph over Adrian Heidrich and Mirco Gerson. The French duo of Maxime Thiercy and Arnaud Gauthier-Rad won bronze with a 21-23, 21-15, 15-21 victory over Quentin Métral and Simon Hagenbuch.

Yess💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽 Wir gewinnen ein umkämpftes Finale gegen @beachvolleyteam.heidrichgerson Vielen Dank an alle Fans im Stadion und vor den Bildschirmen! 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

272 Likes, 11 Comments - Beeler-Krattiger (@beelerkrattiger) on Instagram: "Yess💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽 Wir gewinnen ein umkämpftes Finale gegen @beachvolleyteam.heidrichgerson Vielen Dank an..."

The women’s title went to Mersmann and Tillmann, who prevailed over Zoé Vergé-Dépré and Esmee Böbner in straight sets (21-17, 21-14) in the final. Elena Steinemann and Nicole Eiholzer were third after they came from behind to defeat Dutchwoman Emma Piersma and Australian Stefanie Weiler 13-21, 21-14, 15-12 in the bronze medal match.

The final tournament of the season will be played in Bern from September 5-7.

World Tour kicks off in Siofok

The weekend also had international beach volleyball with the 2018-2019 World Tour season starting in Siofok, Hungary, with a double-gender one-star event.

The men’s tournament was won by France’s Romain Di Giantommaso and Jeremy Silvestre, who posted a 2-1 (21-15, 18-21, 15-12) victory over Lithuania’s Matas Navickas and Patrikas Stankevicius. Germany’s Robin Sowa and Eric Stadie were third after they prevailed in two sets (21-18, 21-19) over Serbia’s Djordje Klasnic and Marko Plavsic.

In the women’s event, Slovenia’s Tjasa Jancar and Tjasa Kotnik were the winners as they beat Sweden’s Sara Cavretti and Sofia Wahlen in two sets (21-19, 21-12). Japan’s Satono Ishitsubo and Asami Shiba claimed the silver medal with a 21-14, 21-17 triumph over Poland’s Agata Ceynowa and Martyna Kloda.

Next weekend, another one-star event will be played, this one in Montpellier, France.