2019-03-25 10:29:00 CEST
A first gold medal for Austrian teams and potentially a last for a Brazilian one…
We did it!!!!! Gold medal at the 2⭐ in Cambodia!!! First international title together! Thx to everybody who believed in us and thx for all the support from back home! #2star🇰🇭 #siemreap #goldmedal🥇 #representingklagenfurt #kelagbeachteam #kelag #teamfullhd #worldtour #beachvolleyball #fromsnowtosand #cambodia #asia #angkorwat #maindraw #hot #sun #sweating #snowvolleyball #heeressportzentrum #sansirro #totalfirestop #vlzkaernten #aba 📸 FIVB
92 Likes, 5 Comments - Kelag Beachteam (@kelagbeachteam) on Instagram: "We did it!!!!! Gold medal at the 2⭐ in Cambodia!!! First international title together! Thx to..."
Austrians Christoph Dressler and Xandi Huber celebrated their first FIVB World Tour gold medals with victory in the two-star tournament in Siem Reap, Cambodia on Sunday.
The duo fought back from losing the first set to Russian pair Maxim Sivolap and Artem Yarzutkin to claim top spot on the podium with a 16-21, 21-13, 15-13 win at the Anchor Beach Volleyball Carnival event.
Gold for Huber – who represented Austria at the 2016 Olympics in Rio – ended a wait of 105 international tournaments without one. The win was even sweeter as the Austrians previous appearance in a final came when they lost to the same Russian duo in Morocco last year.
Austria were denied two out of three medals on offer in the bronze medal match as Switzerland’s Yves Haussener and Quentin Metral saw off Peter Eglseer and Florian Schnetzer. The Austrian qualifiers took the first set but could not hold on, as the Swiss pair triumphed 18-21, 21-10, 15-12 to take third place.
The World Tour remains in Cambodia at the beginning of April with a women-only one-star event in Battambang (4-7 April), before the men’s next opportunity on the sand comes at a one-star tournament in Satun, Thailand (8-11 April).
Golden ending for Álvaro/Ricardo
Meanwhile in Brazil, the next stop on the national tour saw Álvaro Filho and Ricardo Santos win gold in Natal in what may be their last appearance together as a team.
SOMOS CAMPEÕES! Que etapa especial em Natal. Conquistamos a medalha de ouro me divertindo a cada momento ao lado de Ricardo. Não canso de repetir que é incrível ver o meu parceiro com essa força de vontade toda em quadra. . . . Agradecemos a cada um pelo apoio e a torcida - em especial aos meus familiares: minha esposa Marcella Coutinho, meus pais Álvaro e Patrícia e minha irmã Maria Luiza. . . Um obrigado especial também a equipe do CT Cangaço, a Marinha do Brasil, e ainda por um ciclo que se fecha com a Geap Saúde. Foi muito importante esse incentivo da maior operadora de saúde do país com o nosso time. Tudo que colhemos até aqui se tornou fruto do apoio desta parceria. . . #ctcangaço #geapsaúde #marinhadobrasil #voleidepraia #beachvolleyball
2,115 Likes, 123 Comments - Álvaro Filho (@alvarofilhovolei) on Instagram: "SOMOS CAMPEÕES! Que etapa especial em Natal. Conquistamos a medalha de ouro me divertindo a cada..."
Last week Álvaro announced he will team-up with reigning Olympic champion Alison Cerutti but with Ricardo by his side the defender took gold in two sets to win in Natal, 21-18, 21-16 against Hevaldo and Arthur Lanci. An injury to Vitor Felipe meant the bronze medal went the way of Fernandão and Ramon Gomes.
Although Álvaro will link up with the Mammoth on the World Tour in a bid to reach the World Championships and the Olympics, it remains unclear if Álvaro will return to partner Ricardo at the remaining Brazilian national tour stops as they eye the Brazilian title.
Former Olympic champ Ricardo, now 44, said: “We’re fighting for the national title and that's what's left. What we create inside and outside the court, with the friendship, only strengthens the will to be competing yet. At age 44 still have the day to day training, be dedicated exclusively to this, are few who choose. Many have already transitioned to other roles, but I still feel competitive, feel good playing and with people who encourage me to compete. I feel good. I do not know until when, but I want to enjoy every moment.”
Que energia NATAL .... É ouro 🥇, muito feliz , essa etapa foi de muita superação , minha parceira foi top demais @patisramos .. Quero agradecer a toda minha equipe @reiscastro10 , @oliveiranetooficial , @rodolfomartinsvolei , @jeffersoncoimbra_ , @limallysson ,#cabeça #super .. toda dedicação diária .. Amigos , familiares e fãs obrigada pela energia de vcs .. 💪. @ayofitnessclub @beachvolleyhighperformance @deeply_br @exercito_oficial 🥇🙏💪👏👏👏...
438 Likes, 31 Comments - Rebecca Silva (@rebeccasilvavp) on Instagram: "Que energia NATAL .... É ouro 🥇, muito feliz , essa etapa foi de muita superação , minha parceira..."
In the women’s event, gold went to rising stars Ana Patrícia and Rebecca Silva. The duo, who have already won two World Tour events together, beat Tainá and Victoria in straight sets (21-16, 22-20).
The bronze medal saw two familiar teams go head to head, with Fernanda Berti and Barbara Seixas beating Talita and Taiana in three sets (21-16, 17-21, 16-14).
The next stage of the Brazilian tour heads to João Pessoa between 9-14 April.