"We'll get that somehow," says Karla Borger.

Apparently easy to say, but still a sentence like a statement.

Vienna, Hamburg, Munich within a few days.

Three tournaments, three different formats.

Nations Cup here, elite tournament there – both successfully completed.

Now EM to the end and climax of the trilogy.

When tiredness actually calls for a break.

Somehow "annoying that the highlights are so tightly scheduled," says Borger.

But get them.

It's always just beach volleyball.

And the two veterans are familiar with that.

Achim Dreis

sports editor.

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Karla Borger (33), whose mother Cordula Pütter was once a European champion, and Julia Sude (34), whose father Burkhard went down in German sports history as "Mister Volleyball", are a well-coordinated team.

They played together in the sandbox when their parents were still playing beach volleyball.

You're not going crazy

It's actually amazing that they've only been doing things together on the field since 2019.

The Olympic Games in Tokyo were supposed to be the high point of her career – but nothing came of it: out in the preliminary round, 19th place. It went all the better afterwards: at the European Championships in Vienna, she secured bronze and even won the well-rewarded World Tour final .

This week Karla Borger is playing in a European Championship for the tenth time.

Julia Sude for the eleventh time.

Both have already won medals.

You're not going crazy anymore.

On the morning of the opening game of the European Championship in Munich, they only start their journey to Hamburg.

Optimal preparation for a tournament looks different, but together with their new coach, the Brazilian Ricardo Brunale de Andrade, known as "Vento", they'll get the hang of it.

The two then enter the tournament on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. as favorites against the Ukrainians Khmil/Lazeranko.

In Hamburg on Sunday they took third place in the elite event on the prestigious world tour.

With a result that does not have to be acknowledged every day: Borger/Sude conceded a 10:21 swatter against the Brazilians Barbara Seixas de Freitag and Carolina Solberg Salgado in the first round - comparable to a 0:6 loss of a set in tennis - , only to turn the game around: 23:21 and 15:11.

Set and match as well as bronze as a reward for perseverance.

In their unexcited way, they actually got it.

Already in the preliminary round they had left the field as winners against the world number one with a 2:1.

Maximum excitement in games

A week earlier, Borger/Sude had led the German team to second place at the first Nations Cup in Vienna.

Together with the World Cup bronze medalists Cinja Tillmann and Svenja Müller, they only lost to the players from Switzerland in the final.

In this new format, both teams played one match each.

In the event of a tie, a golden set decided the victory – with a line-up nominated at short notice.

The style of play ensured maximum cheering during the games of the national partners - which is usually not the case in the couple sport.

Of course, at the European Championships, each duo plays for itself again - host Germany, however, is at the start with five women's and four men's teams.

In addition to Borger/Sude and Tillmann/Müller, Chantal Laboureur and Sarah Schulz as well as Sandra Ittlinger and Isabel Schneider will also be starting among the women.

In addition, Olympic champion and two-time European champion Kira Walkenhorst enjoys a wild card for her international comeback alongside newcomer Louisa Lippmann.

Of course, Karla Borger and Julia Sude have the most experience with award ceremonies and medal ceremonies – at least as far as the stressful August has gone so far.