German pair aiming to bring Rio beach volleyball success to Duisburg

DUISBURG - Wilhelm Maximilian Just (GER) and Philipp Huster (GER) will have high hopes of pulling off a home triumph when the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 World University Games beach volleyball competition gets underway in Duisburg’s Sportpark on Monday 21 July.

The German pair took the men’s title at the first FISU World University Championship Beach Sports event at Rio de Janeiro’s Botafogo beach last September, and are delighted at the chance to repeat that success on home sand, with the sport returning to the World University Games for the first time since 2013.

"I am very happy about the nomination (for Rhine-Ruhr 2025),” Huster told the German Volleyball Federation (DVV). “I have extremely positive memories of the world championships in Rio last year, of course because of our gold medal.

“Being able to take part in an event of this size in Germany in front of a home crowd will certainly add to this experience."

Huster and Just will face a strong challenge from France’s Joadel Genevieve Gardoque and Elouan Chouikh-Barbez, who are ranked world No.46 and recently took gold at the Pro Tour Futures event in Montpellier, France.

World No.34 Arturs Rinkevics (LAT) and partner Olivers Bulgacs (LAT), who finished fourth at the 2024 U22 European Championships, will also present stiff opposition, as will Thomas David Hurst and Gage Tahoe Basey (USA), who were silver medallists at the U23 NORCECA regional championship in the Dominican Republic in May.

‘Most importantly, have fun’

On the women’s side, one of the favourites will be Alexis Jean Durish (USA), who claimed silver last year in Rio, and Audrey Reagan Konig (USA). The pair won gold last month at the U23 NORCECA regional event in the Cayman Islands and followed it up with gold at the Futures Pro Tour event in Switzerland.

Also tipped for a podium finish are Australian pair Cassandra Dodd, who plays her beach volleyball in the USA, and Sarah Burton, who is studying at the University of Hawaii.

“The ability to get your education whilst playing overseas is an amazing opportunity, which more young aspiring Australian volleyballers should look into,” Dodd told Volleyball Australia.

“Most importantly, have fun. We play volleyball because we love it. Sometimes we can get wrapped up in performance and selection, but ultimately we wouldn’t be pouring our heart into the sport if we didn’t enjoy it.”

The FISU experience

Karla Borger (GER), chair of the Board of Trustees for the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 Games, won her first major international title at the 2011 Universiade in Shenzhen before going on to compete at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

She credits her coach, Jörg Ahmann (GER), with instilling the value of university competition into her development as an athlete.

“He said, ‘If you play the Universiade in Shenzhen (rather than aiming for London 2012), it’s going to prepare you for all the upcoming events: the world championships, the Olympics’,” she said.

“It was a highlight and I still talk about it emotionally very much, even though I was at the Olympics two times. It prepared me for the Olympics and it was something really special for my whole career.

“It’s so nice to have it in Germany – we can support our youth and it’s a big chance for them to play on a high level.

“It’s going to have a great impact on kids in the cities and around the region. They will love to come to cheer for Germany or for the other athletes, and to attend the side events which are planned.”

FGNS kc/lcm/mb