The FIVB is pleased to announce that Hamburg, Germany will welcome an FIVB Beach Volleyball Word Tour Grand Slam event from June 7 through to June 12, 2016.

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Swatch Major Series high flyers Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst (here at the Swatch Beach Volleyball FIVb World Tour Finals in Fort Lauderdale) are also welcoming the Grand Slam in Hamburg. Photo credit: Red Bull content pool

The Hamburg event will come soon after Grand Slam events in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from March 8-13, and Moscow, Russia from May 24-29. 

"With Hamburg bidding for the Olympics and the event coming shortly before the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, it will make for a great tournament," said Markus Bockermann, who won two World Tour golds in 2015. 

A further three Grand Slams are also set to take place in Poland (June 14-19), the Netherlands (July 19-24) and Long Beach, USA (August 23-28). The Hamburg Grand Slam will feature the best beach volleyball teams in the build-up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in August 2016 and will offer $800,000 in prize money.

Speaking at the press conference to announce the event, Hamburg's Laura Ludwig said: "We are really looking forward to playing in our city. It is always great to play in your country, especially when lots of friends and family can attend the event." Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst won gold at the first event on the 2015/2016 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour in Puerto Vallarta.

Ludwig/Walkenhorst happy about their success at the Swatch Major Series and excited about a Grand Slam tournament in Kira Walkenhorst home town Photo credit: Red Bull Content Pool

The provisional 2015/2016 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour calendar kicked off with the double-gender Puerto Vallarta Open in Mexico from October 6-11, 2015 and will end with the 2015/2016 World Tour Finals from October 25-30, 2016. The World Tour Finals serve as the season climax and will feature the top teams per gender based on a cumulative ranking of points from Grand Slams, Majors and Opens.