After hosting a pair of Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge events in Itapema and Saquarema, Brazil is now set to welcome the top beach volleyball players on the planet with an Elite16 tournament set to take place in Uberlândia from April 26-30.
Elite16 - Uberlandia, BRA - 2023
Beach Pro Tour medallists in action at Uberlândia Elite16
Nine men’s teams that made podium appearances in 2023 will chase more medals in Brazil
Published 12:47, 11 Apr 2023
The tournament held at Praia Clube, a club that for years has had one of the top women’s volleyball teams in the country, will feature 28 men’s teams during the five days of action, with the 12 best-ranked duos starting directly in the main draw while the remaining 16 tandems will need to fight for the final four spots in the main phase of the event on Wednesday’s qualifier.
- Watch the Beach Pro Tour Uberlândia Elite16 live or on demand on VBTV.
As many as 16 different countries will be represented by at least one team in the Uberlândia Elite16 and the men’s field in Brazil will include nine duos that stepped on the podium at least once in the 2023 Beach Pro Tour season.
Here are four four teams that already had some success this season and will compete in Uberlândia:
Mol/Sørum (Norway)
The reigning Olympic and world champions, Anders Mol and Christian Sørum won the first Elite16 event of the season, held in Doha, Qatar, in February. The Beach Volley Vikings have only another appearance in the 2023 season so far, in the Tepic Elite16, in Mexico, where they took silver. The Norwegians were third in last year’s Uberlândia Elite16 and will look to continue their podium streak on the Beach Pro Tour in the Brazilian event.
Åhman/Hellvig (Sweden)
Swedish wonderkids David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig also appeared in the finals of both Elite16 tournaments held in 2023, falling to Mol and Sørum in Doha and beating the Norwegians several weeks later in Tepic. The entertaining 21-year-olds have also played in the La Paz Challenge, in Mexico, where they finished ninth.
#BeachProTour Tepic Champions 🏆: David Åhman & Jonatan Hellvig 🇸🇪!
— Beach Volleyball World (@BeachVBWorld) March 27, 2023
📰 Full event recap: https://t.co/XzCv4GSd0P
📺 Full match replays on VBTV.
🔜 Next Up: Challenge event in Itapema 🇧🇷 Apr 6-9
☀ #BeachProTourTepic #BeachVolleyball pic.twitter.com/nZ8o0u2OjU
Herrera/Gavira (Spain)
Spanish veterans Pablo Herrera, 40, and Adrián Gavira, 35, returned to the top of the podium at the international level after almost five years with their victory at the La Paz Challenge, in March. The seasoned Europeans also played in the Doha Elite16, in February, and the Itapema Challenge, in April, finishing fifth in both events.
#BeachProTour La Paz Champions 🏆: Pablo Herrera & Adrian Gavira 🇪🇸
— Beach Volleyball World (@BeachVBWorld) March 20, 2023
📰 Full event recap: https://t.co/EiAFyue7oY
📺 Full match replays on VBTV.
🔜 Next Up: Elite16 event in Tepic 🇲🇽 Mar 22-26
☀ #BeachProTourLaPaz #BeachVolleyball pic.twitter.com/8lxL50zBHu
Andre/George (Brazil)
Last year’s FIVB World Championship bronze medallists Andre Loyola and George Wanderley became the first Brazilian team to win a medal on the Beach Pro Tour in 2023 with their recent victory in Itapema, which was their third-straight in international events held in the city. The winners of last year’s Uberlândia Elite16 tournament, the two were ninth in the Doha Elite16 and didn’t make out of the qualifier in Tepic, finishing 17th.
GOLD FOR BRAZIL 🇧🇷!
— Beach Volleyball World (@BeachVBWorld) April 10, 2023
Congrats to George & Andre for winning the gold medal at the #BeachProTour Challenge event in Itapema, Brazil.
📺 Full match replays on VBTV.
🔜 Next Up: Challenge event in Saquarema 🇧🇷 Apr 13-16
☀ #BeachProTourItapema #BeachVolleyball pic.twitter.com/rO056fXdsu