Cyprus site of U21 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships

Cyprus returns to the world stage of international beach volleyball this year when it hosts the FIVB U21 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships. The 14th annual double-gender age group event will be held from July 23 to 27 in Larnaka as the FIVB now has an unprecedented four age-group World Championships for beach volleyball held annually.

 

While the Cyprus Volleyball Federation has hosted several FIVB Challenger and Satellite events, this will be just the second event held in Larnaka as the city presented the 2012 FIVB U19 World Championships which were won by a men’s tandem from Poland and a women’s duo from Lithuania.

 

Long the developing sand of the FIVB Beach Volleyball next generation of stars, last year’s FIVB U21 World Championships were held in Umag, Croatia. Umag had also hosted the 2011 FIVB U19 World Championships. The U21 age-group World Championships have been held every year since 2001.

 

Winning the men’s FIVB U21 World Championships last year in Umag were Brazil’s Gustavo Carvalhaes/Allison Cittadin while the women’s FIVB U21 World Championships gold medal was won by Poland’s Jagoda Gruszczynska/Katarzyna Kociolek.

 

In the first 13 years of the FIVB U21 Beach Volleyball World Championships, Brazil has garnered the most final four placements, medals – gold medals in particular – in both genders. In the U21 men’s competition, Brazil has 10 final four placements and nine total medals including four gold medals.  Other countries with men’s gold medals have been Italy, Poland and Spain with two each and with one each have been Canada, Latvia and the Ukraine.

 

In the first 13 years of the U21 women’s championships, Brazil has been even more dominant with 11 final four placements and 10 total medals including six gold medals. Other countries with women’s gold medals have been Poland and Switzerland with two each and with one each have been the Netherlands, Russia and the United States.

 

Along with the U21, the other long-standing age-group world championships are the U19 competition and both will be held in cities that have hosted other FIVB age-group events in the past. 

 

The 2014 FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Championships will be held in Porto, Portugal from July 29 to August 3. First held in 2002, this year will be the 13th annual U19 championships. Started in 2013, the second edition of the FIVB U23 World Championships will be held June 10 to 15 in Myslowice, Poland.

 

As part of the initiatives of FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F° and his leadership team, the FIVB Beach Volleyball U17 World Championships have been added to the annual FIVB calendar in 2014. The inaugural FIVB U17 World Championships will be held in Acapulco, Mexico from July 15 to 20.

 

Larnaka is the third largest city on the southern coast of Cyprus behind Nicosia and Limassol. It has a population of 72,000 and is the island's second largest commercial port and an important tourist resort. The island's largest airport, Larnaka International Airport is located on the outskirts of the city to the south. The city is well known for its picturesque seafront, which includes rows of palm trees. Larnaka Marina is one of the four official entry points, by sea, to Cyprus.

 

The age-group FIVB World Championships have historically seen many of the young stars of today building their experience level to advance up the ladder in international competition. This year’s 2014 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour for professional athletes will include 10 FIVB Grand Slam events, a new FIVB Grand Slam Final and at least nine FIVB Beach Volleyball Open events.

 

The format of all the FIVB Beach Volleyball international tournaments – whether pro or age group FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, FIVB Beach Volleyball Grand Slam or FIVB Beach Volleyball Open – are the same, featuring pool play followed by single elimination knockout rounds.