Elouan Chouikh and Joadel Gardoque became just the second French team to win gold in a Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Elite tournament on Sunday, when they triumphed in the event that took place in Itapema, Brazil, the last of 12 held in the 2025 season.

Three years after Youssef Krou and Arnaud Gauthier-Rat made history with the country's first victory at the highest level of the Beach Pro Tour in Torquay, Australia, the young Frenchmen overcame a strong field in Itapema to win the last Elite event of the 2025 season in surprising and spectacular fashion, taking gold in just their second appearance in an event of this caliber after beating Latvians Martins Plavins and Kristians Fokerots. Brazilians Evandro Gonçalves and Arthur Lanci finished third.

• Watch the Beach Pro Tour 1xBet Itapema Elite replays on VBTV

The 23-year-old Chouikh and the 22-year-old Gardoque made it to the final in Itapema with five wins in six matches and were dominant against Plavins and Fokerots, taking the 2024 European champions down in straight sets (21-13, 21-19) to claim the title.

"This is just amazing," Chouikh said. "The DJ put on a great French song before the match for us, and it just got us very relaxed to play. We knew it was a final, but we felt it was our tournament, and we just enjoyed it and connected with the crowd here."

The victory in Brazil comes as a slightly delayed part of the celebration for the first anniversary of their team, which officially debuted on the Beach Pro Tour in November 2024. The two spent most of the season competing in Challenge events and won gold at the Montpellier Futures, in July. Chouikh and Gardoque didn't make their Elite debut until October, when they ranked 13th in Cape Town, and got to the top of the podium in Itapema in just their second event of this level, beating six Olympians on their way.

The title also caps off what has been a promising international season for French men's beach volleyball, which has seen duos collect five medals on Beach Pro Tour Elite and Challenge events and had Téo Rotar and Gauthier-Rat making the country's first podium appearance at the FIVB World Championship last month, in third place.

Plavins, a London 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, and Fokerots earned their second Beach Pro Tour medal of the season in Itapema and their first at the Elite level after taking gold at the Jurmala Futures in June.

Evandro and Arthur win third medal in Brazil

In the bronze medal match, Evandro and Arthur won their third medal in five Beach Pro Tour Elite events held in Brazil this season, beating compatriots André Loyola and Renato Lima 2-0 (21-18, 21-17) to finish third.

Before making it to the podium in third place in Itapema, the Paris 2024 Olympians had won gold in João Pessoa and silver in Brasília.

Beach Pro Tour Itapema Elite - Results

The 1xBet Itapema Elite was the last event of this level in the 2025 Beach Pro Tour schedule. The season will officially come to an end after the conclusion of the Laginha Beach Futures, in Cape Verde, from December 11-14.

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