Bautista Amieva (right) hits against Nathan Broch (center) of Switzerland as Argentina partner Mauro Zelayeta follows the action Monday at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games.(Photo: Copyright of Olympic Information Services).
Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 8, 2018 - Two teams from Switzerland have spoiled the opening days for the host country in the beach volleyball competition at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games as Nathan Broch and Timon Gysin from the landlocked European country upset Bautista Amieva/Mauro Zelayeta here Tuesday afternoon.
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In addition to Switzerland's win Monday, other countries posting victories on the second day of pool play were Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay and Venezuela of the South American confederation, Australia, New Zealand and Thailand from Asia, England, the Netherlands, Norway and Russia from the European continent, Mozambique (twice) from Africa, and Aruba from NORCECA.
Seeded 32nd in the 32-team men's field, Broch and Gysin posted 2-1 (20-22, 24-22, 15-11) win in 53-minutes over the top-seeded Amieva and Zelayeta, who finished fourth at the FIVB Beach Volleyball Under-19 World Championships in mid-July at Nanjing, China with a 5-2 match mark.
Switzerland's Nathan Broch (left) and Timon Gysin during their match Monday against Argentina. (Photo: Copyright of Olympic Information Services)
At the end of Sunday's first-day of competition in the second edition of the beach volleyball at the Youth Olympics, the Swiss women's team of 32nd-seeded Celine Baumann/Mara Betschart posted a 2-1 (23-25, 21-17, 15-7) win in 51 minutes over top-seeded Brenda Churin/Delfina Villar of Argentina.
After two days of competition at Green Park in the Palermo district in the Argentine capital city, pairs from the FIVB's European confederation have won 12 of the 32 pool play matches played with six victories each by men and women. Mozambique, Russia, Thailand and Venezuela join Switzerland with two pool play victories.
Both Russian victories are by teams that won FIVB Under-19 World Championships this past July in Nanjing, China with the second win coming Monday by the second-seeded women's team of Mariia Bocharova/Maria Voronia, who defeated 31st-seeded Dana Roskic/Erika Vermette of Canada 2-0 (21-15, 21-15) in 27 minutes.
It was the Russians' second win over Roskic/Vermette after Bocharova and Voronina defeated the Canadians in the quarterfinals at the U19 worlds. On Sunday, second-seeded Denis Shekunov/Dmitrii Veretiuk of Russia defeated 31st-seeded Mikolaj Miszczuk/Dominik Poznanski of Poland 2-0 (21-12, 28-26) in a 37-minute men’s Pool B match.
Both of Mozambique's wins were Monday as fourth-seeded Arsenio Guvu/Jorge Monjane defeated 29th-seeded William Esther/Keemesh Namah of Mauritius 2-0 (21-10, 21-6) in 24 minutes while the third-seeded women’s team of Mercia Mucheza/Ana Sinaportar scored a 2-0 (21-10, 21-7) Pool C win in 24 minutes over 30th-seeded Isatu Bah/Kaday Iye of Sierra Leone.
Phichakon Narathon/Phanupong Thanan posted Thailand's second win in the competition with a 2-1 (21-15, 19-21, 16-14) men’s victory in 51 minutes Monday over 17th-seeded Patrik Manas/Jiri Sedlak of Czech Republic. On Sunday, eighth-seeded Pawarun Chanthawichai/Thatsarida Singchuea defeated 25th-seeded Maria Corbach/Josefina Vargas of Uruguay 2-0 (21-11, 21-14) in 30 minutes.
Venezuela's second win of the competition came on Monday as sixth-seeded Urimar Narvaez/Diana Ramirez posted a 2-1 (15-21, 21-15, 15-10) win in 45 minutes over 27th-seeded Atenas Gutierrez/Karla Romero of Mexico. On Sunday, Venezuela ‘s women’s team of Gabriel Gonzalez/Jose Osorio defeated Brian Howell/Raibiently Mercalina of Aruba 2-0 (21-12, 21-14) in 30 minutes.
Beach volleyball pool play highlights the first six days of competition as the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympics opens, followed by the elimination rounds where the top three teams from each pool advance to single-elimination bracket play. Both the men's and women's quarterfinals will be played on October 15 followed by the semifinals on October 16 and the medal matches on October 17.