Lausanne, Switzerland, May 24, 2017 — The FIVB held its seventh event of the 2017 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour calendar last week at the Rio de Janerio 4-Star event, as the Tour returned to Brazil.
It was the sixth event for each gender and Brazilian teams won men's and women's gold in Rio.
After a one-week respite, the FIVB World Tour resumes in Russia for the double-gender FIVB Moscow 3-Star event (May 31-June 4).
Brazil has now hosted 81 total FIVB World Tour events including at least one each year since the FIVB began international beach volleyball competition in 1987. There have been a total of 42 for men and 37 for women. Rio has now hosted 29 FIVB World Tour events.
FIVB RIO MEN
Brazil’s second-seeded Olympic Champions Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt defeated Poland’s sixth-seeded Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak, 2-0 (25-23, 21-12) in 40 minutes.They finished with a perfect 6-0 record to win a 23rd career World Tour gold medal for Alison, a 14th for Bruno and their 12th as a team.
Earning the men’s bronze medal in Rio was Italy’s ninth-seeded Daniele Lupo/Paolo Nicolai who won in straight sets over USA’s Theo Brunner/Casey Patterson, 2-0 (21-16, 21-14) in just 33 minutes.
Brazil’s Schmidt was later selected as the men’s most outstanding player of the tournament.
FIVB RIO WOMEN
Brazil’s fourth-seeded Agatha Bednarczuk/Eduarda ‘Duda’ Lisboa overcame Canada’s 11th-seeded Melissa Humana-Paredes/Sarah Pavan 3-1 (21-14, 13-21, 15-13) in 50 minutes. It was the fifth career FIVB gold medal for Agatha, the third for Duda and their first as a new team this season.
Czech Republic’s seventh-seeded Barbora Hermannova/Marketa Slukova won the bronze medal when they stopped Brazil’s fourth-seeded Fernanda Alves/Barbara Seixas 2-0 (23-21, 21-18) in 46 minutes.
Brazil’s Eduarda ‘Duda Lisboa was later selected as the women’s most outstanding player of the tournament.
NEW FIVB WORLD RANKING SYSTEM
Part of the latest edition of the FIVB Sports Regulations for beach volleyball, the new FIVB World Ranking system has been established based on the FIVB Beach Volleyball Ranking Points earned at the eight best performances as a team in all FIVB-sanctioned Beach Volleyball Events over a 365-days period. The FIVB World Ranking is updated every Monday after an FIVB sanctioned event granting FIVB Beach Volleyball Ranking Points.
MEN’S RANKINGS/EARNINGS
After six men’s events on the 2017 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, Brazil’s Olympic champions Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt leads this week’s FIVB World Rankings with 4,460 points while Latvia’s Aleksandrs Samoilovs/Janis Smedins tandem is second with 4,420 points. Third is USA’s Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena with 3,680 points, fourth is Netherlands’ Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen with 3,670 points and fifth is Poland’s Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak with 3,560 points.
In the 2017 FIVB World Tour men’s earnings after six events, Brazil’s Saymon Barbosa/Alvaro Filho duo is still on top of the money list with $46,000 in two events with one gold medal. Second is Brazil’s Evandro Goncalves/Andre Loyola with $36,000 in two events, tied for third with $32,000 each are Brazil’s Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt in two events with one gold medal and Poland’s Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak in three events and fifth is Italy’s Daniele Lupo/Paolo Nicolai with $28,000 in three events.
WOMEN’S RANKINGS/EARNINGS
For the women after six events on the 2017 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, Brazil’s Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca duo is at the top of the current women’s FIVB World Rankings with 5,240 points and second is Germany’s Olympic champions Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst with 4,780 points. In third with 4,000 points is Gemany’s Chantal Laboureur/Julia Sude, and tied for fifth with 3,360 points each are USA’s April Ross/Kerri Walsh Jennings and Spain’s Elsa Baquerizo/Liliana Fernandez.
In the 2017 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour women’s earnings after six events, Brazil’s Agatha Bednarczuk/Eduarda ‘Duda’ Lisboa with $32,000 duo is in the top spot with $52,000 in earnings in two events with one gold medal, second is Brazil’s Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca with $46,000 in two events with one gold medal, third is Brazil’s Fernanda Alves/Barbara Seixas with $28,000 in three events with one gold medal, fourth is Germany’s Chantal Laboureur/Julia Sude with $26,000 in two events and tied for fifth with $18,000 each are Brazil’s Josemari Alves/Liliane Maestrini in three events and Czech Republic’s Barbora Hermannova/Marketa Slukova in two events.
MEN’S FINAL FOURS
After six men’s tournaments on the 2017 FIVB World Tour regular season schedule, 13 countries have at least one final four placement. Leading with four final four placements is the United States (one bronze medal, three fourth place finishes) and tied for second with three each are Brazil (two gold medals, one silver medal) and Poland (two silver medals, one bronze medal). Tied for third with two final four placements each are Australia (one gold medal, one silver medal), Germany (two fourth place finishes), Italy (one silver medal, one bronze medal) and Russia (one gold medal, one bronze medal). Tied for eighth with one final four placement each are Austria (one silver medal), Cuba (one gold medal), Estonia (one bronze medal), Netherlands (one gold medal), New Zealand (one bronze medal), and Serbia (one fourth place finish).
WOMEN’S FINAL FOURS
After six women’s FIVB World Tour events to date on the 2017 calendar, eight countries have earned at least one final four finish. Leader in final four placements with six is Brazil (three gold medals, one silver medal, two fourth place finishes) and second with five is Germany (one silver medal, two bronze medals, two fourth place finishes). Tied for third with three each are Australia (one silver medal, two bronze medals) and Canada (two gold medals, one silver medal) and tied for fifth with two each are Austria (one bronze medal, one fourth place finish), the Czech Republic (one silver medal, one bronze medal) and the United States (one gold medal, one fourth place finish). Eighth with one final four placement is China (one silver medal).
MEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE/MATCH WINS
Based on percentage, statistically, in men’s action after six events on the 2017 FIVB World Tour calendar with a minimum of six matches played, the leading team at 91.7% is Brazil’s Saymon Barbosa/Alvaro Filho (11-1), second at 88.9% is the Netherlands’ Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen (8-1) while third at 85.7% is USA’s Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena (6-1), fourth at 83.3% is Brazil’s Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt (10-2) and fifth at 81.3% is Italy’s Daniele Lupo/Paolo Nicolai (13-3). Sixth at 77.8% is USA’s Taylor Crabb/Jake Gibb (7-2) and tied for seventh at 75.0% are Poland’s Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak (12-4) and Australia’s Cole Durant/Zachery Schubert (6-2).
With 13 match wins this season through six events on the 2017 FIVB World Tour, leading this category is Italy’s Daniele Lupo/Paolo Nicolai (13-3), second with 12 wins is Poland’s Piotr Kantor/Bartoz Losiak (12-4), third with 11 wins is Brazil’s Saymon Barbosa/Alvaro Filho (11-1), fourth with 10 2ins is Brazil’s Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt (10-2) and fifth with nine wins is Russia’s Viacheslav Krasilnikov/Nikita Liamin (9-5).
WOMEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE/MATCH WINS
Based on percentage, statistically, in women’s action after six events on the 2017 FIVB World Tour calendar with a minimum of six matches played, the leader at 84.6% is Brazil’s Agatha Bednarczuk/Eduarda ‘Duda’ Lisboa (11-2), second at 83.3% is Canada’s Melissa Humana-Paredes/Sarah Pavan, third at 81.8% is Brazil’s Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca (9-2), fourth at 80.0% is Czech Republic’s Barbora Hermannova/Marketa Slukova (8-2), fifth at 77.8% is Brazil’s Fernanda Alves/Barbara Seixas (14-4) and tied for sixth at 72.7% are Canada’s Julie Gordon/Camille Saxton (8-3) and Germany’s Chantal Laboureur/Julia Sude (8-3).
For the women in match wins following six events on the 2017 FIVB calendar, the leader with 14 match wins is Brazil’s Fernanda Alves/Barbara Seixas (14-4), second with 11 match wins is Brazil’s Agatha Bednarczuk/Eduarda ‘Duda’ Lisboa (11-2) tied for third with nine match wins each are Brazil’s Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca (9-2) and Brazil’s Josemari Alves/Liliane Maestrini (9-5) and tied for fifth with eight match wins each are Czech Republic’s Barbora Hermannova/Marketa Slukova (8-2), Canada’s Julie Gordon/Camille Saxton (8-3) and Germany’s Chantal Laboureur/Julia Sude (8-3).
GROWING HISTORY
Following the event in Rio de Janeiro, the double-gender FIVB Moscow 3-Star event will be the 359th men’s tournament since the FIVB began play in 1987 and the 320th FIVB women’s tournament since their competition started in 1992.