Sweden’s Hölting Nilsson Jacob & Andersson Elmer and Katja Stam & Raïsa Schoon of The Netherlands are the 2026 CEV EuroBeachVolley champions.
By winning the tournament, Sweden and The Netherlands have also secured a spot at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028. The winners of the 2026 continental championships will earn their respective National Olympic Committees (NOCs) a quota spot for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.
Sweden’s Hölting Nilsson Jacob & Andersson Elmer celebrate with their coaches after being crowned the 2026 CEV EuroBeachVolley champions
The Dutch pair, Stam & Schoon, defeated Spain’s Sofía Izuzquiza & Tania Moreno Matveeva in straight sets (21-13, 21-11) in the women’s final played on Sunday in Stare Jabłonki, Poland to win their first European title.
It’s the third European podium finish for Stam & Schoon who settled for silver and bronze in the 2021 and 2022 editions respectively.
Reigning world champions Tīna Graudiņa & Anastasija Samoilova of Latvia rallied from a set down to claim the bronze medal after a 2-1 (20-22, 21-16, 15-12) win over Clémence Vieira & Aline Chamereau of France in the third place match.
Stam & Schoon had reached the final on a 5-0 win-loss record including a 2-1 (19-21, 21-14, 15-12) victory over Vieira & Chamereau in the semifinals. Spain’s Izuzquiza & Moreno Matveeva stunned two-time champions Graudina T. & Samoilova A. after beating them by 2-1 (13-21, 21-14, 15-10) in the other semifinal.
Sweden’s youngsters, Hölting Nilsson & Andersson, E, lived up to their top seeds status after beating defending champions Anders Mol & Christian Sørum of Norway by 2-1 (21-18, 18-21, 15-10) in the men’s final also played on Sunday.
It’s the first senior European title for the young Swedish duo after winning the CEV U22 European Championship in 2024.
France’s Téo Rotar & Arnaud Gauthier-Rat overcame the reigning Olympic and World champions David Åhman & Jonatan Hellvig of Sweden by 2-1 (21-18, 19-21, 15-12) in the third place match to settle for bronze.
Hölting Nilsson & Andersson, E only dropped only two sets in the six matches that they played in the entire competition. The FIVB World Ranking leaders finished with a 6-0 win-loss record that included a hard-fought 2-0 (23-21, 28-26) win over compatriots Åhman & Hellvig in the semifinals.
To qualify for the final, five-time champions Mol, A. & Sørum, C. beat Rotar & Arnaud Gauthier-Rat in straight sets (21-13, 21-12) in the other semifinal.
