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Tournament 2024
Sweden and the USA claimed victory at the prestigious Swatch Beach Pro Gstaad, taking home the coveted cowbells. The Swedish duo Ahman/Hellvig celebrated their first gold medal, confirming their role as favorites. On the women's side, the Americans Nuss/Kloth won gold. This year's tournament was marked by thrilling matches, unpredictable weather, and an amazing atmosphere in the packed "Gstaadion."
A total of 27 teams qualified for Paris and honored the Swatch Beach Pro Gstaad just before the Olympics. "I think it's fantastic that 15 women's teams and 12 men's teams used Gstaad for one final form test before Paris 2024," says tournament director Ruedi Kunz. This is not unusual: On the current Beach Volleyball Pro Elite Tour, the tournament held in the world’s highest arena is one of the most popular playgrounds for athletes. Additionally, the international Beach Volleyball tournament in Gstaad set a new spectator record with 28,500 fans in attendance – up from 28,000 in 2023.
The tournament's number one team lived up to their favorite status. In an exciting men's final, the Swedish duo Ahman/Hellvig defeated the tournament’s second-seeded team, George/Andre (BRA), in straight sets (21:18, 21:18) with their attractive play. This victory allowed the Swedes to leave Gstaad as tournament champions on their first appearance. Both players agreed that the tournament in the Bernese Oberland was an absolute highlight. "I have watched this tournament on TV so many times. To now win the cowbell after the injury-related cancellations over the past two years is fantastic," said Jonatan Hellvig.
The duo of Cannon/Kraft, who had risen from the qualifiers to the final, managed to win the first set 21:15. After that, the third-seeded Nuss/Kloth used their experience and gradually found their rhythm. As a result of their improvement, they won the second set. In the third set, it initially seemed that Cannon/Kraft would continue their momentum toward the tournament victory. However, after a strong comeback, the third-place finishers from the previous year, Nuss/Kloth, managed to turn the game around and secure the gold cowbell. Taryn Kloth’s gratitude to her partner says it all: “She’s like a little bird flying over the sand.”
After three attempts, it was finally time: The Latvians Tina/Anastasija won the consolation final and were able to receive the “Cowbells” from Gstaad. “We played our third small final today and finally made it onto the podium,” said Tina Graudina, adding, “We’ve learned a lot from the defeats of previous years. These experiences really helped us today.” The duo has been performing strongly on the tour this season, with their preparation over the past winter clearly paying off.
When asked what their third-place finish in Gstaad means in the lead-up to the Olympics, Tina Graudina explained: “For us, Gstaad is an important tournament in preparation for Paris. The atmosphere and the crowd here are just fantastic. This could prove to be a crucial factor, as the center court in Paris will hold up to 14,000 spectators.”
“We just want to take it round by round in Paris. Of course, we hope to be competing for the Olympic medals on the final day,” said Anastasija Samoilova after the match.
