Photo: Getty Images

The picturesque Venid Beach in Sveti Vlas, Bulgaria, witnessed a historic moment as Austria’s Christoph Dressler & Maximilian Trummer and the USA’s Carly Kan & Madelyne Anderson clinched their first-ever Beach Pro Tour medals. Both pairs emerged victorious in the men's and women's categories, respectively.

Austria's Triumph in the Men's Division

The Austrian duo of Christoph Dressler and Maximilian Trummer showcased exceptional teamwork and resilience, navigating through the tournament undefeated. Their journey culminated in a commanding 2-0 (21-18, 21-16) victory over the Dutch pair Mees Sengers & Dirk Boehle in the final.

"Usually, when you play well, most of the time you don’t know what you have been doing. So it was mainly not thinking too much, using our best hits, a lot of team chemistry, energy and power, and having fun," Dressler reflected on their performance.

American Excellence on the Women’s Podium

In only their second Beach Pro Tour appearance, Carly Kan and Madelyne Anderson defied expectations. The American pair, seeded sixth, remained unbeaten throughout the tournament. They secured a hard-fought 2-1 (24-22, 17-21, 15-8) victory against top-seeded Brecht Piersma & Wies Bekhuis from the Netherlands in the final.

"It was a battle. We knew it would be. We’ve played the Netherlands before. They are a really good team, never out of the game until the game is completely over. We were happy to come out strong and mentally focused in the tournament," Kan stated.

Dutch and American Teams Also Shine

The Dutch pairs, Sengers & Boehle, and Piersma & Bekhuis, both secured silver medals, demonstrating their prowess on the sand. The American teams Hagen Smith & Logan Webber, and Kennedy Coakley & Brooke Sweat, rounded out the podium with bronze medals.

This event marked the first Beach Pro Tour stop in Bulgaria, featuring 28 women’s and 26 men’s teams from 23 countries. The next tournament will be a women’s event in Krakow, Poland, from June 13 to 16.

Editor: Emiliia Morozova