Two top Swiss women's beach volleyball teams are parting ways. Sebastian Beck, Head of Beach Volleyball at Swiss Volley, talks about the upcoming changes.
Esmée Böbner is stepping down, Joana Mäder is taking a break. Her playing partners Zoé and Anouk Vergé-Dépré both want to continue. From the outside, it therefore seems obvious that the sisters from Bern will join forces in the future. However, the association is not making a clear statement on this: "It is important for us to approach this process analytically - the family aspect plays a subordinate role," Beck told Keystone-SDA. "We look at the two athletes individually and then discuss their best options."
In this context, Beck particularly mentions the recent successes in the junior field. At the end of July, Leona Kernen and Muriel Bossart won the gold medal at the U20 European Championships. Last year, Kernen had already won silver at the U21 World Championships alongside Annique Niederhauser. "There are many exciting athletes waiting for their chance who have proven their qualities."
An evaluation will now be carried out together with the athletes. The aim is to compare ideas about the time horizon and goals. "Then we'll try to anticipate which players harmonize best as a duo. Not only in terms of ability, but also in terms of interpersonal chemistry."
Beck is not willing to look any further into the cards. However, he emphasizes that although the process will be thorough, it should not take "forever". "We want our players to be able to enjoy their off-season and not have to worry about the future." The Swiss Championships take place next week in Bern. The future duos will be decided by the end of September.
In any case, a lot can still happen in the next few days. Olympic bronze medallists Tanja Hüberli and Nina Brunner, who are currently competing in Hamburg, have not yet made any concrete statements about their future plans. They are also using the new Olympic cycle to discuss their goals and wishes in peace.
SDA