Portuguese beach volleyball duo João Pedrosa and Hugo Campos secured their best-ever World Championship finish, placing ninth after an impressive run that has fueled their ambition for Olympic qualification.
The four-time national champions concluded their campaign in Adelaide, Australia, on Thursday, falling 2-0 to reigning world champions Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner of the Czech Republic in the Round of 16. The scores were 21-16 and 21-18.
Despite the defeat, Pedrosa expressed immense pride in their performance. “We are among the top 10 in the world,” he told the Portuguese Volleyball Federation’s communication channels. “When we look at everything we did in this World Championship, we can only feel immense pride.”
The Czech pair dominated the match, leading throughout and only trailing once at 3-2 in the first set.
Pedrosa emphasized that the team is on a positive trajectory. “We leave with our heads held high, obviously,” he stated. “After this incredible season, where we achieved our best result in a World Championship and our best ranking, we can only be satisfied.”
He added that the duo continues to improve and has significant potential for further growth. “We are on the right track, always improving, and the best part is that we still have a lot to improve.”
Their path to the Round of 16 included a crucial 2-0 victory in the knockout stage against U.S. Olympians Miles Evans and Chase Budinger. They had opened their tournament with a 2-0 win over Bradley Fuller and Ben O’Dea.
The duo also navigated a challenging pool play, including a “crazy game” with rain, wind, and sun in the same set against Daouda Yacoubou and Mensan Tohouegnon of Benin, which they won. They also played a tough three-set match against Cuba’s Noslen Diaz and Jorge Luis Alayo, which they lost.
The ninth-place finish earned them 800 points for their FIVB ranking, a result that underscores their strong performance.
Pedrosa acknowledged the challenge posed by their opponents. “It wasn’t the result we wanted,” he said. “We faced the reigning world champions, and they showed why they are: they served very well, took us out of our comfort zone, and our serve was not at its usual level.”
While they attempted to adjust their game, it was not enough to secure the win. The team’s primary objective was to reach this stage of the competition, a goal they successfully achieved as they now turn their focus toward qualifying for the Olympic Games.