Lupo/Nicolai warm up for World Tour Finals with European title

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Italy's Lupo/Nicolai took gold for the second year running

Italy’s Daniele Lupo and Paolo Nicolai prepared for this week’s Swatch Beach Volleyball FIVB World Tour Finals presented by Vodafone in the best way possible by winning their European Championship title in Jurmala, Latvia.

The Olympic and Poreč Major silver medalists made it back-to-back gold medals in the CEV event with a superb straight sets victory in the final against Latvia’s home heroes Aleksandrs Samoilovs and Janis Smedins.

The bronze medal went the way of Holland’s Alex Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen, who gained a small amount of revenge against Dries Koekelkoren and Tom van Walle following their defeat to the Belgians at the World Champs in Vienna.

There was a major shock in the women’s event as last year’s European champions and newly crowned World Champs, Germany’s Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst, exited the competition at the quarterfinal stage, losing to fellow countrywomen Nadja Glenzke and Julia Groβner. Nadja and Julia went on to lift the title and secure gold with victory over Czech duo Kristyna Kolocova and Michala Kvapilova – a pair who will be on show at the Rothenbaum this week.

Another team who will be on the sand aiming for World Tour Finals glory – Germans Chantal Laboureur and Julia Sude – secured bronze, beating Polish pair Kinga Kolosinska and Jagoda Gruszczynska in a three-set epic.

Can Laura and Kira bounce back and retain their World Tour Finals crown on home sand? Find out this week! Entry is free at the Rothenbaum and matches will also be streamed live on BeachStream. Click here to sign-up!

World Champions Kira and Laura lost their European title after losing in the quarterfinals