The first season of the new format of the Beach Volleyball World Circuit, called Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour will end with the event called The Finals, a masters that will bring together the best 20 duos of the world. 10 male teams and 10 female teams will be part of this event that will be held in Doha, Qatar, from this Thursday (January 26th) to Sunday (January 29th).
In the male tournament will be three Pan American duos: the Chileans Esteban and Marco Grimalt (8th in the FIVB ranking) and the Brazilians George-André (4th) and Renato-Vitor Felipe (9th). In the female tournament, also from Brazil and leading the ranking, there are the duos Duda-Ana Patrícia (1th) and Barbara-Carol (2th), along with the Americans Kristen Nuss-Taryn Klot (8th) and Sarah Hughes-Kelly Cheng (9th) alongside with the Canadians Sarah Pavan-Sophie Bukovec (10th).
The event promises to be the golden finale of a competition that revitalizes beach volleyball in the world and that has set the beginning of the 2023 circuit, specifically in Doha, with the Elite 16 tournament, between February 1st and 5th.
'The Finals' will bring together in Doha the best beach volleyball male and female teams. The week after the Master, also in Qatar, the 2023 Beach Pro Tour season will begin (pictures from: Volleyball World)
MEET THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE AMERICAS
MALE TOURNAMENT
Andre Loyola Stein/George Wanderley (BRA): winners of the Ipanema and Uberlandia events, they also are the number one ranked duo between May and October, 2022, they enter this final date as possible candidates for the gold medal.
Renato Lima/Vitor Felipe (BRA): they achieved the silver medal in the Rome 2022 Beach Volleyball World Championships, the most important tournament contested last year.
Marco Grimalt/Esteban Grimalt (CHI): they took the gold medal during the 19th edition in Gstaad, Switzerland, which gave them one of the two wild cards for the finals.
FEMALE TOURNAMENT
Eduarda ‘Duda’ Lisboa/Ana Patricia Ramos (BRA): they are the current leaders of the beach volleyball world ranking. They arrive at the finals as the great favorites after winning the World Championship and two dates of the Beach Pro Tour, in addition to winning medals in their last six tournaments.
Carol Salgado/Barbara Seixas (BRA): the second best duo in competition is also Brazilian. Aged 35 years old each member, this experienced team only joined in 2021 and since then they have won two tour dates. It also included the inaugural competition in Mexico along with two silver medals. They are number 2 in the world ranking.
Taryn Kloth/Kristen Nuss (USA): the U.S. duo hit the circuit hard, winning a Future tournament in Coolangatta in Australia and an official date of the Beach Pro Tour in Kusandasi, Turkey, coming from the qualifying rounds.
Kelly Cheng/Sara Hughes (USA): the second best U.S. couple in the competition is coming from a victory in Torquay, England, which made them worthy of a wild card from the organization.
Sarah Pavan/Sophie Bukovec (CAN): the only Canadian team in the finals has the particularity that this is their first participation as a duo in Doha. Their individual track records allow the home crows to get their hopes up: Pavan was world champion in 2019 alongside her sister Rebecca, while Bukovec was a silver medalist at the 2022 World Championship.
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