The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Rankings have seen significant shifts following the completion of the Rio de Janeiro Elite16 tournament, with duos from the USA and Netherlands making impressive moves into the world’s No. 2 spots in their respective divisions.
Women’s Division
American team Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft rose to No. 2 in the world after a standout bronze medal performance in Brazil. The duo climbed two spots, earning 1,000 points for their Rio finish—just enough to surpass Brazil’s Carol Solberg and Rebecca Cavalcanti by a slim 20-point margin.
Ranking Highlights:
- 1st – Thamela Coradello & Victoria Lopes (Brazil) – 8,320 points
- 2nd – Terese Cannon & Megan Kraft (USA)
- Carol Solberg & Rebecca Cavalcanti (Brazil) – narrowly bumped to 3rd
The team benefits from the ranking system that considers the eight best results over the past 365 days. Rio marked Cannon and Kraft’s eighth counted result, enhancing their total without replacing a lower score.
Men’s Division
Dutch duo Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot also surged to the No. 2 spot, driven by a string of strong finishes. Their Rio bronze marked their fourth consecutive podium at Elite events and added 712 points to their tally.
Ranking Highlights:
- 1st – Anders Mol & Christian Sørum (Norway)
- 2nd – Stefan Boermans & Yorick de Groot (Netherlands)
- David Åhman & Jonatan Hellvig (Sweden) – dropped after not competing in Rio
- Cherif Younousse & Ahmed Tijan (Qatar) – jumped five spots to tie for 4th
Additional Movement
The Rio Elite16 also propelled Kelly Cheng and Molly Shaw of the USA into the women’s top ten for the first time this season, signaling upward momentum for the pair as future events approach.
Consistency Remains Key
With qualification cycles for upcoming championships and the Olympics already in progress, the updated rankings emphasize the role of performance consistency in building and maintaining a strong international presence.
For more details, visit the full article on Volleyball World.
