Mol / Sorum – Vitor Felipe / Renato 2-0 (21-15, 21-16)

Anders Mol and Christian Sørum were able to win Norway’s first World Cup gold medal in beach volleyball, after beating Brazil’s Vitor Felipe and Renato in straight sets under the spotlights in Rome on Sunday.

– It’s really amazing. “It’s been our dream for a long time, and to do it here in front of so many people is fantastic,” said Christian Sørum after the game.

– I hope people see how much fun we have on the pitch. We love doing this, adds Anders Mol.

The duo have previously won gold at the Olympics and European Championships, but have never made it to the top at the World Cup.

– It is our dream to win more titles, and get more people to play this fantastic sport. It’s a good sport and a good family. “We want this sport to thrive and reach its true potential,” said Anders Mol.

Win in straight sets

Brazil opened the first set well, and surprised Norway at first, but it didn’t take long before Mol and Sørum tightened their grip on the final.

In the end, they won the first set 21-15.

In the second set, Norway opened the game well, but faced competition from Brazil throughout the set. However, in the end, there was little doubt about where the gold had gone. In set number 21-16, Mol and Sørum secured the win, and a historic World Cup victory.

Brazilian Opposition

The journey of the Norwegian duo to the final was colored by a number of opponents from Brazil. In the quarter-finals, they beat Alison and Guto with numbers 23-21, 21-13.

Also in the semifinals another Brazilian pair awaited André and George, and also there Mol and Sørum won in straight sets.

After the victory in the semifinals, Anders Mol emphasized that the World Cup gold was the title they had always dreamed of.

– This is the title we’ve always wanted. In 2009 we saw the World Cup in Stavanger, and that’s when the dream began. Standing here today is a dream, and it’s a pleasure to play in front of an audience again, Mol said later.

Entrance problem

However, the road to World Cup gold has yet to be a dancing rose for the Norwegian duo. Since they grabbed a winning Olympic gold last summer, it’s been a bit of a blunt for both of them.

Christian Sørum suffered a shoulder injury in 2022, and they had to take part in rehearsals for the World Cup in Rome.

This resulted in a year of fewer games and fewer tournaments for Norway, who also fell in the rankings.

From ranking as the best in the world for several years, the duo entered the World Cup rankings as number nine. Semi-final opponents, André and George, entered the World Cup as world leaders in the rankings.