Big names on the sand as Russia Tour restarts

Lausanne, Switzerland, July 13, 2020 – Russia’s star players were out in force as the Russian Beach Volleyball Tour began at the Vodny Stadium in Moscow this weekend.

European silver medallists Konstantin Semenov and  Ilya Leshukov defeated Hamburg 2019 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships gold medallist Oleg Stoyanovskiy and Aleksandr Kramarenko, who was filling in for usual teammate Viacheslav Krasilnikov, 2-1 (21-15, 18-21, 18-16).  

Neither beach volleyball nor volleyball has been played in Russia since March 21 and beach volleyball is the third sport in Russia to restart after football and rugby. However, in compliance with the measures in place to curb the spread of Covid-19, no spectators were allowed to attend the competition. 

In the women’s competition multiple age-group world and European champion Maria Voronina and partner Svetlana Kholomina marked their first tournament together by defeating Mariia Bocharova and Elizaveta Gubina 2-0 (21-14, 21-18). 

Nadezhda Makroguzova and Daria Rudykh claimed the bronze medal after a 2-1 victory (16-21, 21-14, 15-7) over Yulia Abalakina and Ksenia Dabizha, while Alexey Gusev and Pavel Shustrov won the men’s bronze medal match after edging Aleksei Arkhipov and Dmitrii Veretiuk 2-1 (15-21, 21-18, 15-11).