Swiss Olympic beach teams claim national title

Nearly a month after they represented Switzerland at the Tokyo Olympics, the teams of Nina Betschart/Tanja Huberli and Adrian Heidrich/Mirco Gerson secured the country’s beach volleyball national title on Friday, in Bern. The event was the seventh and final one on the 2021 Swiss calendar.

Bestchart and Huberli, who three weeks ago won the European Championship in Vienna, continued in great form to claim their third-straight national title, following previous victories in 2018 and 2019. The two finished ninth in Japan.

In the final, they met Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Anouk Verge-Depre and temporary partner Laura Caluori, who replaced the defender’s usual teammate, Joana Heidrich, sidelined due to an injury. Their chemistry prevailed and the 25-year-old Betschart and the 29-year-old Huberli won in two sets (21-14, 21-9).

“After playing several events in front of empty seats, it makes us so happy that we were able to win here in Bern in front of our families and friends,” Huberli said.

The Verge-Depre family got revenge over the Betscharts in the bronze medal match as Anouk’s younger sister Zoe and partner Esmee Bobner prevailed over Nina’s sister Mara and Annik Stahli also in two sets (21-15, 21-18) to finish third.

On the men’s side, Heidrich and Gerson, who finished 17th in Tokyo after helping Switzerland to victory at the European Continental Cup, stepped on to the top of the podium after they defeated Marco Krattiger and Jonas Kissling in the two-set (21-19, 21-16) gold medal match.

“It was a very cool final and it was really fun to win in front of this incredible backdrop,” added Gerson, who won his fourth national title and the first with Heidrich.

Quentin Metral and Yves Haussener took bronze with a straight-set (21-19, 21-19) victory over U23 Swiss champions Immanuel Zurcher and Jonathan Jordan.

During the tournament, the Swiss Volleyball Federation celebrated the country’s success in 2021, honouring Heidrich and Verge-Depre for their Olympic medal, Betschart and Huberli for their European title and Gerson, Heidrich, Krattiger and Florian Breer for winning the Continental Cup.