Jacob Holting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson thrilled home fans by capturing gold at Malmo's Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour event, the first of its kind ever held in Sweden.
The young Swedish pair, aged 20 and 18 respectively, dominated the competition without dropping a single set across their five matches. Seeded second in the main draw, they steamrolled through the tournament, culminating in a commanding 2-0 (21-15, 21-11) semifinal victory over Spain's Alvaro Viera and Antonio Saucedo, followed by a decisive 2-0 (21-14, 21-17) win against Germany's Momme Lorenz and Tilo Rietschel in the gold medal match.
This victory marks the talented duo's fifth medal on the Beach Pro Tour. Not bad for a pair still in their teens! Last year, they collected an impressive haul of two Challenge-level golds, one Futures trophy, and a Futures bronze.
Interestingly, the triumph came as something of a surprise to volleyball fans. Most observers had expected Sweden's reigning Olympic champions and world number three team, David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig, to walk away with the trophy. The top-seeded 23-year-olds indeed reached the semifinals without losing a set, but fate intervened when Hellvig suffered an injury forcing their withdrawal from the competition.
The unexpected withdrawal automatically advanced the third-seeded Germans to the final, while the seventh-seeded Spanish team secured bronze without having to play an additional match.
The tournament featured 27 men's teams representing 16 different countries, showcasing the global appeal of beach volleyball even in northern European venues. Can this victory by the U22 European champions signal a new dynasty in Swedish beach volleyball?
Meanwhile, the Beach Pro Tour continues with four more Futures events this week across China, Greece, Italy, and Switzerland, keeping the international beach volleyball calendar packed with high-level competition.
