Lausanne, Switzerland, June 5, 2018 - With the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour calendar near the midway point for the 2017-2018 campaign, here is a report card on this season’s facts and figures.
With 24 men’s and 21 women’s events completed since the start of the 2017-2018 competition last September, a total of 1,051 players from 66 countries representing all five FIVB confederations have participated in World Tour events staged in 16 countries (Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, France, Iran, Malaysia, The Netherlands, Oman, Philippines, Qatar, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United States and Vietnam).
With the expanded FIVB schedule of 43 men’s and 44 women’s events on the 2017-2018 World Tour calendar, there has been an increase in first-ever milestone achievements for countries (Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Oman, Romania and Slovenia) in reaching FIVB final fours and/or placing on a World Tour podium.
Here are highlights from the first nine months of competition starting with the first event last September in Montpellier, France through last week’s tournaments in China (Jinjiang) and Turkey (Alanya).
Men’s events
A total of 563 individuals from 59 countries have competed in the first 21 events on the men's 2017-2018 FIVB World Tour schedule.
• United States (86), Brazil (32), Australia (22), Austria (21), Turkey (21), Germany (20), Russia (20), Italy (19), Canada (18), Netherlands (17), China (16), Iran (16), France (14), Japan (14), Oman (14), Poland (14), Czech Republic (12), Norway (11), Sweden (11), Switzerland (10), Thailand (10), England (8), Latvia (8), Philippines (8), New Zealand (7), Slovenia (7), Ukraine (7), Denmark (6), Rom (6), Malaysia (6), Qatar (6), Spain (6), Indonesia (5), Lithuania (5), Colombia (4), South Africa (4), Uruguay (4), Vanuatu (4), Serbia (3), Singapore (3), Argentina (2), Belarus (2), Belgium (2), Chile (2), Chinese Taipei (2), Croatia (2), Cuba (2), Cyprus (2), Egypt (2), Estonia (2), Fiji (2), Finland (2), Hong Kong (2), Israel (2), Mexico (2), Papua New Guinea (2), Scotland (2), Venezuela (2) and Virgin Islands (2).
• The United States has entered the most teams for FIVB World Tour events - 51.
• Russia has the most podium placements - nine.
• Russia and the United States have the most gold medals - four.
• Russia has the most final four finishes - 10.
• The United States has compiled the most points - 15,252.
• The United States has accumulated the most earnings - $170,090.
• Fourteen (14) countries have won gold medals.
• Pairs from Austria, Japan, Slovenia, Serbia and Thailand won their country’s first-ever men’s gold medal on the FIVB World Tour.
A total of 348 teams have competed in the first 24 events on the men's 2017-2018 FIVB World Tour schedule.
• Martin Appelgren/Simon Boman of Sweden have played in the most events - 11.
• Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen of the Netherlands have the most podium placements - four.
• Brouwer/Meeuwsen have the most gold medals - three.
• Brouwer/Meeuwsen have the most final four finishes - four.
• Brouwer/Meeuwsen have compiled the most points - 4,040.
• Brouwer/Meeuwsen have accumulated the most earnings - $73,000.
Robert Meeuwsen and Alexander Brouwer of the Netherlands
Women's events
A total of 488 individuals from 56 countries have competed in the first 21 events on the women's 2017-2018 FIVB World Tour schedule.
• United States (82), Brazil (27), Australia (21), Germany (20), Sweden (20), Canada (19), Russia (19), Japan (17), Netherlands (16), Thailand (14), Turkey (14), Czech Republic (13), China (12), Switzerland (12), Austria (11), Italy (11), Denmark (10), Poland (10), Finland (8), Philippines (8), Vietnam (8), Ukraine (7), France (6), Latvia (6), New Zealand (6), Norway (6), Spain (6), Chinese Taipei (4), Colombia (4), Greece (4), Indonesia (4), Israel (4), Lithuania (4), Slovakia (4), Slovenia (4), Uruguay (4), Vanuatu (4), Cuba (3), Argentina (2), Chile (2), Cyprus (2), England (2), Fiji (2), Hong Kong (2), Hungary (2), Kazakhstan (2), Malaysia (2), Papua New Guinea (2), Paraguay (2), Portugal (2), Romania (2), Scotland (2), Serbia (2), Singapore (2), South Africa (2) and Virgin Islands (2).
• The United States has entered the most teams for FIVB World Tour events - 54.
• The United States has the most podium placements - 10.
• The United States the most gold medals - four.
• Brazil has the most final four finishes - 12.
• The United States has compiled the most points - 18,278.
• Brazil has accumulated the most earnings - $227,300.
• Eleven (11) countries have won gold medals.
• Pairs from Austria, Cuba and Romania won their country’s first-ever women’s gold medal on the FIVB World Tour.
A total of 297 teams have competed in the first 21 events on the women's 2017-2018 FIVB World Tour schedule.
• Suzuka Hashimoto/Sayaka Mizoe of Japan have played in the most events - nine.
• Mariafe Artacho/Taliqua Clancy of Australia have the most podium placements - four.
• Artacho/Clancy have the most gold medals - three.
• Artacho/Clancy have the most final four finishes - four.
• Artacho/Clancy have compiled the most points - 3,080.
• Fernanda Alves/Barbara Seixas of Brazil have accumulated the most earnings - $70,000.
Mariafe Artacho/Taliqua Clancy of Australia
