After the big disappointment at the Olympics, the summer ended in a conciliatory way for Karla Borger and Julia Sude. “We are very proud of ourselves. After the Olympics we talked about whether we should play here at all, but we showed that we are good players, ”said Karla Borger after winning the bronze medal at the European Beach Volleyball Championships in Vienna. The Düsseldorf duo defeated Anastasija Kravcenoka and Tina Graudina from Latvia 2-1 in the small final on Saturday. With their first joint international medal, Borger / Sude provided the German highlight.
Although Germany remains by far the most successful nation after the 24th EM medal in women (8 gold medals, 7 silver, 9 bronze), it was not enough for the title. Because Borger / Sude failed, despite several match points in the semifinals, just 1: 2 to the later European champions Nina Betschart and Tanja Hüberli from Switzerland. "It's been a long time since I was so down after losing a semi-final," said Borger: "That's why the medal means a lot to us, also emotionally."
While Borger / Sude were there after their disappointing qualifying round in Tokyo in Austria and were rewarded with bronze, the German top duo Laura Ludwig / Margareta Kozuch was missing. The Olympic Fifth had canceled their start at short notice. "After the climax and the exhausting matches in Tokyo, we first have to recharge the batteries," said Ludwig one day before the start of the tournament.
In the men's race, Nils Ehlers and Simon Pfretzschner were eliminated as the last German starters in the quarter-finals. The duo from Hamburg and Dachau were defeated by the Dutch Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen in the match for the semi-finals with 1: 2. The World Cup second and Olympic fifth Julius Thole and Clemens Wickler from Hamburg had already been eliminated in the round of 16. A series of negative events continues for the men. Since 2012, when Julius Brink / Jonas Reckermann became European champions, no German team has reached an EM semi-final.