In a groundbreaking achievement, Anastasija Samoilova and Tina Graudina have made history by capturing Latvia’s first gold medal at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship. The 2025 event, held in Adelaide, marked a significant milestone for both their professional careers and the growth of Latvian beach volleyball on the world stage.
Seeded fifth, Samoilova and Graudina displayed resilience and excellence by outperforming expectations against a highly competitive field. Their journey to this point has been years in the making:
- Fourth-place finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
- Quarterfinal appearance in Paris 2024
- Three prior world championships that ended in the Round of 16
The Latvian duo has consistently remained among the elite in their sport, with a track record that includes:
- Two European Championship titles (2019, 2022)
- Multiple podium finishes on the 2025 Beach Pro Tour Elite16 circuit
This historic gold medal not only recognizes their decade of dedication and hard work but also signals a new era for beach volleyball in Latvia. Until now, the Baltic nation had never won a medal at the World Championship level in any division of the sport.
This success was made possible in part by support from the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment Programme, which has helped enhance Latvia’s infrastructure for coaching and professional development. With figures like experienced coach Daniel Luis Wood Rodriguez at the helm, Latvia is preparing for an ambitious 2026 season that includes:
- Continued participation in the Beach Pro Tour Elite16 series
- Pursuit of a third European Championship title
As interest surges across the country, this victory could inspire a new generation of athletes to take up the sport. With this monumental triumph, Samoilova and Graudina have firmly established themselves as one of the top teams in international beach volleyball and have energized a national movement in their home country.
To read the full story, visit the official article on the FIVB website.
