Latvia's Gustavs Auzins and Kristians Fokerots secured the gold medal at the 2025 FIVB Beach Volleyball U21 World Championships with an impressive streak, not losing a single set during the entire competition. The event was held in Puebla, Mexico, and featured some of the world's most talented young beach volleyball athletes.
This marks their second world title, following their victory at the U19 World Championships in 2022. Auzins and Fokerots maintained a perfect performance across seven straight-set matches, culminating in a 2-0 (21-19, 21-19) win over Poland’s Szymon Beta and Artem Besarab in the final.
Latvia's success in this tournament reflects growing strength in youth beach volleyball. The duo now share company with legendary Latvian players Martins Plavins and Aleksandrs Samoilovs, who won the U21 crown in 2005. In addition to their world titles, Auzins and Fokerots have achieved:
- Two European age-group titles
- Multiple podium finishes in the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour
For Poland’s Beta and Besarab, the silver marked a milestone as their first podium finish at a world-level tournament.
The bronze medal went to Mexico’s Antonio Lares and Carlos Andres Ayala, who defeated Poland’s Szymon Pietraszek and Jakub Krzeminski 2-0 (21-16, 21-13). This is Mexico’s third-ever medal in U21 beach volleyball, but the first global accomplishment for Lares and Ayala as a team.
The 2025 U21 World Championships served as a showcase of the sport’s future stars. Latvia’s consistent success at this level suggests the country remains a rising force in international beach volleyball.
Read the full article on the official FIVB website.
