Mehandzhiyski & Kalchev with first medal for the country from the Beach Volleyball World Tour

Dimitar Mehandzhiyski and Dimitar Kalchev made history for Bulgarian beach volleyball after winningthe bronze medals at the "St. Vlas Futures" tournament, part of the World TourBeach Pro Tour. The award isthe first for Bulgaria in this format, organized under the auspices of the International Federation (FIVB).

The victory for third place

In the bronze medal match, Mehandzhiyski & Kalchev faced the second seeds in the draw - Italians Tiziano Andreatta and Davide Benzi. After a tense clash and many comebacks, the Bulgarians prevailed with 2:1 sets (23:21, 17:21, 15:12), demonstrating stable mentality and determination in key moments.

🗣Dimitar Mehandzhiyski:
"We feel incredible! This is a historic performance for Bulgarian beach volleyball. We still can't realize what we've achieved. We came with the goal of getting out of the groups, and now we've won a medal. It's incredible!"

🗣Dimitar Kalchev:
"Once again, I want to thank the audience! These people haven't stopped supporting us from the first to the last point of every single match, and we are extremely grateful for that. Today we came together and defeated the strongest team we have ever defeated in our careers."

Finals: Austrian and Ukrainian gold

In the men's final,Laurenz Grössig and Matthias Seiserfrom Austria won the title after a convincing 2-0 (21:14, 21:10) victory over Serbs Djordje Klasnic and Marko Makarich. This is the first gold for the Austrian pair as a tandem in the Beach Pro Tour.

🗣Grössig:
"We didn't lose even a set in this tournament and we are proud of what we achieved. The conditions here were perfect for professional sports."

🗣Seiser:
"After a difficult winter, in which we trained every day, it's time to collect the medals. This is the reason we are here."

In the women's category,Ukrainians Eva Serdyuk and Daria Romanyukconvincingly defeated their compatriots Valentina Davidova and Angelina Khmil 2-0 (21:12, 21:19). They finished the tournament without losing a single set.

🗣Serdyuk:
"We are very happy - for ourselves and for the other Ukrainian team, because we finished first and second. The tournament was very well organized, the weather was great, the people - too."

Bronze for Spain in the women's category

In the match for third place, the Spanish pairSofia Izuzquiza and Ana Vergaradefeated Germans Schulz & Schickel 2:1 (21:18, 18:21, 15:10), marking their first podium finish in the tournament series.

The tournament at Venid Beach, Sveti Vlas, attracted dozens of professional pairs from Europe and was held with excellent organization and a strong audience. For the Bulgarian duo Mehandzhiyski & Kalchev, this is not only a success but also an important step in establishing our country in global beach volleyball.