When the world’s best beach volleyball teams arrive in Adelaide, Australia, for the World Championships set for 14–23 November, the French delegation will land with renewed ambition, fresh talent, and growing momentum. The competition will be held across The Drive and Pinky Flat/Tarntanya Wama, in the heart of the city.
The French Beach Volleyball Department has received USD 993,000 in coach support funding through the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment Programme, strengthening its bid to climb the world rankings. The men’s and women’s programs have benefited greatly under two distinct leaders — Brazilian coach Elmer Calvis Lopes, who leads the men’s teams, and Youssef Krou, a former international player now guiding the women’s squads.
France will be represented by two men’s pairs and two women’s duos in Adelaide. One of the men’s pairs is that of Rémi Bassereau and Calvin Aye who are seeded 13th. For Bassereau, 26, Adelaide represents a continuation of his rise through the world stage. Having played in the 2023 World Championship and at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with Julien Lyneel, Bassereau now teams up with Calvin Aye, 24, who will be making his World Championship debut.
France’s Calvin Aye will be making his World Championship debut in Adelaide.
The pair has shown strong chemistry since partnering in 2024, competing in back-to-back European Championships. They will battle in Pool L, facing the Grimalt cousins, Marco and Esteban, on 14 November, Morocco’s Ilyas Rhouni Lazaar & Soufiane El Gharouti on 15 November and Australia’s Mark Nicolaidis & Izac Carracher on 16 November.
The second French pair combines youth and experience in 18th seeds Téo Rotar and Arnaud Gauthier-Rat. At 21, Rotar’s résumé already reads like that of a future star: gold medals at the 2021 U19 World Championship, the 2023 U20 European Championship, and the 2025 U22 European Championship — all alongside his junior partner Arthur Canet.
Now, Rotar pairs with Arnaud Gauthier-Rat, 29, a seasoned competitor with one Olympic Games (Paris 2024) appearance and two World Championships (2022 & 2023) under his belt. While Rotar is taking his first big step onto the senior global stage, Gauthier-Rat will be making his third World Championship appearance in Adelaide.
French youngster Téo Rotar, 21, will be one of the players to watch in Adelaide.
After reaching the quarterfinals of this year’s European Championship, their partnership will face the biggest test yet in Pool G, where they will take on England’s twin brothers Javier & Joaquin Bello on 14 November, Australia’s Ben Hood & Oliver Merritt on 15 November and Sweden’s seventh seeds Jacob Hölting Nilsson & Elmer Andersson on 17 November.
Few teams arrive in Adelaide with more momentum than France’s 15th seeds Clémence Vieira and Aline Chamereau. After securing a silver medal at the 2025 European Championship, the duo — who also represented France at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 — are brimming with confidence.
Vieira/Chamereau will compete in Pool J against The Netherlands’ Katja Stam & Raïsa Schoon on 15 November, Morocco’s Mahassine Siad & Dina Mellal on 16 November and Canada’s 10th seeds Melissa Humana-Paredes & Brandie Wilkerson on 17 November.
France’s Clémence Vieira and Aline Chamereau will arrive in Adelaide as the 2025 European Championship silver medalists.
For 28th seeds Lézana Placette and Alexia Richard, it’s all about legacy. The two have shared the court for over a decade — since the Youth Olympic Games in 2014 — and have become one of France’s most enduring partnerships.
From the Youth Olympics to multiple World Championships (2022 & 2023) and the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Placette, 27, and Richard, 29, are known for their composure and synergy. Adelaide will mark their third World Championship appearance as a pair and they are drawn in Pool D against Germany’s Sandra Ittlinger & Anna-Lena Grüne on 14 November, USA’s fourth seeds Terese Cannon & Megan Kraft on 16 November and Mozambique’s Vanessa Muianga & Mércia Mucheza on 17 November.
Lézana Placette and Alexia Richard have become one of France’s most enduring partnerships.
In each gender, the 48 participating teams are split into 12 single round-robin pools of four. The pool winners, the pool runners-up and the best four of the third-placed teams (first ranked by match points, then by set ratio, then by rally point ratio and lastly by the tournament seeding established at the general technical meeting), advance straight to the sixteenthfinals. The remaining eight third-placed teams in the pools advance to the first knockout round, dubbed “the lucky loser round”. The single elimination phase starts with the four matches of “the lucky loser round” and the four winning teams advance to the sixteenthfinals.
For all four French teams, the World Championships in Adelaide aren’t just another stop on the calendar — they’re a milestone in a long-term journey. While the Paris Olympics provided exposure, Adelaide offers a proving ground as they eye a deep run in the elimination rounds and perhaps a podium finish. The ultimate target however, lies in the horizon: the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.
With Volleyball Empowerment support, international coaching expertise and consistent exposure to major international tournaments, French beach volleyball has rediscovered its rhythm and will be worthy competitors in Adelaide and beyond.
