The Beach Volleyball World Championships in Rome, which took place from 10 to 19 June, ended with excellent placings for the athletes of the Air Force Sports Center. As many as 96 male and female teams from all over the world competed in the splendid setting of the Foro Italico, where the Air Force also set up a promotional stand. The winners of the tournament were the Norwegian Olympians Anders Mol, Christian Sorum in the men and the Brazilian couple Eduarda 'Duda' Lisboa and Ana Patricia Ramosnel in the women.
The results of almost all the Italian couples, who passed the preliminary rounds, were brilliant, except for the two younger federal couples, who, on the other hand, came close to passing to the sixteenths for a few points and the new couple of the Orsi Toth sisters, forced to interrupt the tournament. due to an injury to the chief airman Viktoria Orsi Toth.
Two games well played by the couple first chosen airman Daniele Lupo - chief airman Alex Ranghieri and first airman chosen Paolo Nicolai with the young Samuele Cottafava, who passed the first step of the knockout phase, respectively against the French Krou-Gauthier and the Cubans Diaz -Alayo, while the couple chief aviator Adrian Carmbula - chosen airman Enrico Rossi, could not do anything against the Chilean brothers Grimalt, who scored a 2-0 in a well-studied game, taking advantage of Carambula's thigh injury, one strain with which he lived for the entire tournament and which did not allow him to express himself at his best. Therefore, 17th final position for the two of them.
Excellent race of the first airman Marta Menegatti paired with the young Valentina Gottardi, who went to the second round by beating the Argentines 2-0.
A completely unexpected evening that of Thursday 16, which saw the most favorite Italians Nicolai-Cottafava go out against the Brazilians Renato-Felipe (they will then win silver at the World Cup), after having dominated a first set for 21-11 and yielding the other two pass. The Lupo-Ranghieri duo could also do nothing against the impassive Dutch Brouwer-Meeuwsen, who played a perfect match, preventing the two airmen from emerging. Both teams finish this World Cup in 9th position. In the women's, however, a well-played derby by Menegatti-Gottardi against Scampoli-Bianchin, coached by the chief airman Laura Giombini, which allowed the first airman Menegatti to pass the round of the second round and be the only Italian team to reach the quarter-finals, where, however, he will surrender the following day to the Canadians Bukovec-Brandie, (these then silver in the final against the Brazilians who won the World Cup), playing a tactically well prepared match and not allowing the Italians to overcome them in points for the two sets played. The World Cup ends for them, therefore, in 5th position.
A good overall result, considering the injury of the head airman Adrian Carambula, with whom he lived for the whole tournament and that of the head airman Viktoria Orsi Toth. The speed with which the newly formed couples equalized the international level should be highlighted. After the separation of the historic couples Lupo-Nicolai and Menegatti-Orsi Toth, after the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, in fact, several new federal and non-federal projects have been generated, which have seen the birth of the current Italian couples participating. The incredible rise in the world ranking of the Nicolai-Cottafava couple, who jump to sixth position from the 18th starting point, should also be underlined. The early results and the great skills shown in this event bode well for the national Beach Volleyball movement, for the Air Force athletes and for the next 2024 Paris Olympics.
