Sponcil and Claes snatch second title in a row in Ostrava
One week after claiming their first World Tour tournament, the American pair caps off an eventful fortnight which saw them qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Beach Volleyball
Sarah Sponcil and Kelly Claes won their second consecutive beach volleyball World Tour title at the Ostrava Beach Open 2021 in the Czech Republic on Sunday (6 June).
In the final, the American pair defeated third-seeded Joana Heidrich and Anouk Verge-Depre of Switzerland in two sets (21-18, 21-15). Brazil's Barbara Seixas and Carolina Solberg claimed third place as they beat top-ranked Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes of Canada.
Only last week-end Sponcil and Claes had clinched their maiden World Tour crown in the penultimate Olympic qualifier in Sochi.
The world's number eight pair is also set to become the youngest Olympic beach volleyball team ever from the United States after sealing the second and final Olympic spot for their country just a few days ago.
Claes, 25, and Sponcil, 24, joined April Ross and Alix Klineman after three-time Olympic champion Kerri Walsh Jennings and Brooke Sweat fell out of Olympic contention on Wednesday by losing in pool play in Ostrava.
“We’re on a good roll right now", Sponcil told FIVB.com.
"We had our first gold medal and qualified for the Olympics, but we tried to put that on the back burner and really focus on this tournament. And we came up with a win. I have an amazing partner and the Czech fans are amazing!”
Jake Gibb set to write Olympic history
This week the U.S. Olympic beach volleyball team has completed its roster for Tokyo with Jake Gibb-Taylor Crabb and Phil Dalhausser-Nick Lucena grabbing the two Olympic spots for the men.
In Tokyo 45-year-old Gibb, who made his debut at the Olympics in 1996, will become the oldest Olympic volleyball player ever, smashing the previous record of 41.
"To be honest, it doesn't mean a dime to me," Gibb told Olympics.com one year ago when asked about breaking the record.
"What means more to me is like what I accomplished with my partner and I want to really go to this Olympics with Taylor because he's never been to an Olympics," he added.
In the men's final in Ostrava, Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen won their eight career title.
The Dutch pair saw off top seeds and home favourites Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner after a hard-fought three-set match.
Bouwer and Meeuwsen lost the first set emphatically (13-21), but immediately reacted in the second (21-19) and finished it off in the decider (15-13).
Brazil's Andre Stein and George Wanderley rounded off the podium in third after beating reigning world champions Viacheslav Krasilnikov and Oleg Stoyanovskiy of Russia in two sets.