World Tour blog

Martin Laciga (SUI)

Switzerland’s Martin Laciga, who recently retired from international beach volleyball, provides his thoughts on last week’s Fuzhou Open and looks ahead to the first FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event of the year – the Shanghai Grand Slam - where he believes the likes of the Americans, Italians and Brazilians to contest the medals again.

It was a very interesting start to the new season with the Fuzhou Open in China.

I was very impressed with the performance of the Austrian team Alexander Huber and Robin Seidl. It was great to see them playing against Ricardo Santos and Alvaro Filho in the bronze medal match. I know them very well and I played them many times. There are a lot of new teams playing together and the Austrians took advantage of being an experienced team and played well against these new teams.

I was expecting the USA team of Sean Rosenthal and Phil Dalhausser to win the competition; I couldn’t really see a weakness in their game. They are the best team in this competition, they move very fast and they control the ball. It is clear for me that they will make it to the top of the rankings, but they won’t totally dominate as there are some other good teams – you could see this in their match against Brazilians.

It is because Ricardo and his new partner Alvaro Filho are still not 100% precise; as a new team they need time to gel and other teams can use their lack of familiarity against them. That said, Ricardo’s new partner played really well. You could see that Alvaro Filho was under huge pressure, but his performances were great all the same. Having Ricardo as your partner must be challenging; he is left-handed, which should be an advantage as most of the players are right-handed.

It is hard to predict the Shanghai Grand Slam, especially if other teams who didn’t play in Fuzhou come back. This is just the beginning of the season so everything can change.

I would expect the same teams in the Shanghai finals, so Rosenthal and Dalhausser, Ricardo and Alvaro Filho, and the Italians Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo. Of course, there is always the possibility that other teams will cause a surprise, especially now that blockers are so much taller. Some of them are almost two metres tall, therefore defensive players have to be strong and attack, otherwise blockers can dominate.

It is important that other teams also have a chance to experience some success – this helps their confidence. Of course I hope for some success for the Swiss’ men’s team especially as Swiss ladies Nadine Zumkehr and Joana Heidrich are doing good job.”

Martin Laciga is a recently retired beach volleyball player from Switzerland. Partnering with his older sibling Paul, the Laciga brother won the silver medal in the men's beach team competition at the 1999 Beach Volleyball World Championships in Marseille, France. He has represented Switzerland at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Athens where he placed fifth and Beijing where he finished ninth. He has also competed in seven FIVB World Championships (1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011) and has won six international gold medals.

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Natalie Cook (AUS)

Earlier this year, Australian beach volleyball legend Natalie Cook predicted that China's Chen Xue and Zhang Xi would be a force to reckon with in 2013. Following the Chinese pair’s gold medal win at the recent Fuzhou Open, it looks that Cook’s forecast for the season may be right on the ball. In this piece, Cook provides her thoughts on last weekend’s Fuzhou action and looks ahead to the first FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event of the year – the Shanghai Grand Slam.

“It was a great start to the new season with the highly entertaining Fuzhou Open in China. “Chen Xue and Zhang Xi were deserved winners and I predicted the Chinese to be dominant this year. They breezed through this first event, played some very impressive beach volleyball on their way to winning the tournament and a China win in China is a great accomplishment.

“There were some interesting results, which is to be expected after a long break and post-London Olympics.

“The new teams from Brazil are finding their way, while some of the teams that have been together for a while have risen to the top, notably the Germans, the Spanish side of Liliana Fernandez and Elsa Baquerizo who won silver, Italy and the second Dutch team of Sophie van Gestel and Madelein Meppelink who overthrew the other higher ranked and more experienced Dutch pairing of Marleen van Iersel and Sanne Keizer.

“Summer Ross was one of the new faces that made a mark during the Fuzhou Open. She is only 20, fared well in age-group tournaments, has already played a few tournaments and in Fuzhou she and Brittany Hochevar enjoyed a good win over the Czech pair Marketa Slukova and Kristyna Kolokova in the pool stage. “Her namesake April Ross and her long-time partner Jennifer Kessy will be hoping to bounce back at the next tournament, the Shanghai Grand Slam, the first FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour competition of the year. They will be trying to make up for their elimination by Katrin Holtwick and Ilka Semmler in Fuzhou, but I still think that Chen Xue and Zhang Xi will be too good for everyone.

“I also look forward to seeing how the Brazilian teams fare. They have led the way for a number of years now, but with Juliana Felisberta and Larissa Franca no longer still together there is the chance for one of the new Brazilian pairings to establish themselves at the top of the sport and I look forward to seeing which one breaks through first.”

Natalie Cook became the first Australian women to participate in five successive Olympic Games and is the only women to play in all five Olympic beach volleyball events. After making her debut on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour in 1993, Cook went on to win a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics and 2000 Olympic gold with Kerri Pottharst, before finishing fourth in Athens, fifth in Beijing and retiring after a 19th-place finish at the London Olympics. She is now running her own company Sandstorm which runs Oz Volley and Surf Volley programs, whilst ensuring new beach volleyball courts are being built off the beach to support the demand and the growth of beach volleyball.

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Sandra Pires (BRA)

With just a few days until the beach volleyball season opening event, the Fuzhou Open, gets underway, Brazilian beach volleyball legend Sandra Pires, a 1996 Olympic champion and Sydney 2000 Olympic bronze medallist champion, looks ahead to the next nine months in which new female FIVB world champions and FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour winners will be crowned, as part of the FIVB blog series.

Change is the only constant in life’ and no one is aware of this maxim as much as a beach volleyball player who has made the decision to retire.

I can empathise with my colleagues who decided to leave professional competition after last year’s Olympic Games as it was probably not an easy decision to take. We’re all still competitors at heart and the thrill of chasing each point and thinking tactically will always be part of us, which sometimes makes it difficult to accept having to watch the action from the side lines.

Nevertheless, it is pleasant to have the opportunity to wind down and take some time to work out where to go next. I know from personal experience that taking the step to start something new encourages personal growth. And when you move out of your comfort zone you are challenged to push the boundaries and achieve the best for yourself.

The excitement is no doubt building for those beach volleyball players starting the season with a new partner. Having had the opportunity to partner with many excellent players during my career, I know how much work is involved in forming a cohesive unit, where each player understands the other’s style and timing.

It is a process which requires time, patience and most of all respect and one in which two players get to know each other well given the amount of time they spend with each other over the season. But it is only in this way that both partners can work towards a common set of goals and priorities with success. I can tell there is no greater feeling than finding the perfect rhythm with the person beside you on the court, for this is when the magic happens!

Unfortunately, there is no specific recipe to ensure that two excellent players will come together to form a winning team. And with so many new pairings for the 2013 beach volleyball season, it is difficult to make any prediction about who will win this year.

All I know is that 2013 can be anyone’s year and I am filled with anticipation to see the energy and enthusiasm this year’s crop of talent can bring to the courts.

Sandra Pires is a three-time Olympian from Brazil. She won gold with Jackie Silva at the 1996 Games in Atlanta – the first year beach volleyball was introduced as a medal sport – bronze with Adriana Samuel in 2000 in Sydney and fifth place in Athens with Ana Paula Connelly. As a commentator for Globo Sport TV, Sandra has covered the London 2012 Games and the 2012 Brazilian national tour.

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Martin Laciga (SUI)

After a long and illustrious career in beach volleyball, Switzerland’s Martin Laciga recently announced his retirement from the sport. FIVB.org had the opportunity to sit down with him and find out more about his time in high-level competition and his views on the sport today.

Taking the decision to stop playing professional beach volleyball was harder than ending my career itself. Although people had started talking about my retirement two or three years ago, I have always been so involved and happy playing my sport that every defeat just made me want to play and win more.

I’m proof that a successful career of 20 years in beach volleyball is possible. And when you are in a sport for this length of time you are always working towards a high set of goals.

My retirement has coincided with that of other beach volleyball players of my generation, which is good, because it leaves room for the younger players to make their mark. I know that this will push up the level of the game. As players like me have already participated in three or four Olympics, it’s time to pass the ball to the young players and to give them a chance to take part in these events.

It is encouraging to see the up and coming players in Switzerland like Nina Betschart, Joana Heidrich, Mirco Gerson and Gabriel Kissling. You don’t need to say anything much to them now as they know what it means to compete internationally and they are highly motivated to keep going. They just need to keep their motivation level high and always try to improve. They are the best for their age but they know that they still have to tap more into their athletic and mental capabilities to keep going in the future.

It’s good to see that other age level championships have been introduced to international beach volleyball. Tournaments like the under-23 championships provide young athletes with a great chance to perform on the international level as this is what increases their motivation as a player. It is also a great opportunity for young players to compete against others from around the world and to see how others train. This was what I found useful about international competitions when I was their age.

While beach volleyball has taken me all around the world, I have to say that there is no greater pleasure than competing on home ground in front of your own family and friends. I particularly loved the ambience at the Gstaad centre court, which was always amazing. And an added benefit of competing at home was the proximity to my own bed after a hard day of competition!

While I hope to continue my involvement with beach volleyball, I’m looking forward to also having the time to follow the career of some dynamic pairing such as Phil Dalhausser and Sean Rosenthal. And I am keen to see how far they go as a team in the World Championships. I’m also looking forward to seeing Polish teams in action as they showed us what Poland is capable of at the Olympic Games where their players showed that they can deal with the pressure of international tournaments. This year will definitely be an exciting one for beach volleyball and I look forward to seeing what the coming months will bring.

Martin Laciga is a recently retired beach volleyball player from Switzerland. Partnering with his older sibling Paul, the Laciga brother won the silver medal in the men's beach team competition at the 1999 Beach Volleyball World Championships in Marseille, France. He has represented Switzerland at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Athens where he placed fifth and Beijing where he finished ninth. He has also competed in seven FIVB World Championships (1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011) and has won six international gold medals.

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