What was our best moment from the smart Major Hamburg? Read on!

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Happiness happening in Hamburg. Photocredit: Mike Ranz.

What a week it was at the smart Major Hamburg.

The agony and the ecstasy of beach volleyball was witnessed by over 40,000 people at the Rothenbaum.

We don’t want to forget it so here’s our top five best moments from an incredible first Swatch Major Series tournament on German sand.

#5 German qualifiers make some noise

German joy on day one! Photocredit: Michael Kunkel.

On the first day of qualification there weren’t many people who knew the names of Lorenz Schümann and Julius Thole, but come the end of the day the duo were on everybody’s lips. They were the talk of the town, as they drew big crowds and marched through to the main draw – something they never thought possible in their wildest dreams.

#4 Austrian’s flush out European Champs

Alex Horst and Clemens Doppler celebrate on Center Court. Photocredit: Joerg Mitter.

Clemens Doppler had a unique way of dealing with pressure at the smart Major Hamburg, the Austrian telling us “a wise man once said the only time I feel pressure is on the toilet” – and together with partner Alex Horst their best result of the week was a stunning comeback victory over European Champions Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo which eliminated the Italian European Champions.

#3 Awesome Americans down the Dutch

A packed Center Court watched the American men win gold. Photocredit: Joerg Mitter.

We think that Nick Lucena and Phil Dalhausser would give us the cold shoulder for the rest of the summer if we didn’t include their victory in Sunday’s final among these moments. The highlight? A ding-dong first set that saw the Americans use all of their skill and experience to stave off four set-points of opponents Alex Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen. Watch the best bits from the final here.

#2 Olympic hopes and dreams decided

Mexico defied the odds to reach the Olympics. Photocredit: Michael Kunkel

We knew that one of the dramatic back-stories of the smart Major Hamburg would be the race for Olympic qualification, but we never thought for one minute it would be so tense and exciting! While there was joy for Markus Böckermann and Lars Flüggen, beating fellow Germans Kay Matysik and Jonathan Erdmann, our favorite moment came from the hands of two Mexicans. Nobody gave Juan Virgen and Lombardo Ontiveros much of a chance in making Rio but they did even with Lombardo ill on the morning of the knockout round!

#1 Germany’s Golden Girls

Champions! Photocredit: Joerg Mitter.

Without question our undisputed number one moment was one that rocked the Rothenbaum, Hamburg and beyond: legendary home favorites Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst winning the women’s gold! They did it in style too, beating April Ross and Kerri Walsh Jennings in the semifinal before edging a thrilling final against Brazilian sensations Agatha/Barbara in front of 8,000 delirious fans on Center Court. It gave everyone goosebumps, even the girls themselves! Relive the best action from the final here!

And don’t forget to check out our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube channels for more exclusive content from last week! Enjoy!

The Rothenbaum rocked! Photocredit: Stefan Moertl.