Glenzke/Grossner win European Championships – and are denied further support by the German volleyball association (DVV)
With an impressive performance German team Glenzke/Grossner have won the 2017 CEV Beach Volleyball European Championship Final in Jurmala, Latvia. In the gold medal match they beat Kolocova/Kvapilova (Czech Republic) 2:1. In a close match the Germans had lost the first set to have a great comeback and win the second set and the tie-break. Their win in the final means a major victory for them and was another great performance after eliminating Olympic, World and European Champions Ludwig/Walkenhorst (also Germany) in the quarterfinals.
Glenzke and Grossner celebrating
Julia Grossner
Their win has some bizarre taste regarding their role within the German volleyball association (Deutscher Volleyball Verband, DVV). Julia Grossner (29) had been denied further support by the DVV earlier this month. In January this year, Glenzke and Grossner had moved from Berlin to Hamburg, the central beach volleyball hub in Germany, to be funded and promoted by the DVV. The DVV has now cancelled the official support for Grossner due to lack of perspective. This decision seems even more absurd after Glenzke/Grossner also beat their German colleagues Bieneck/Schneider in the round of 16. Bieneck/Schneider will continue to be supported by the German volleyball association (DVV).
“We could not believe to play this final but we kept our focus”, said Grossner afterwards. If German DVV officials do not reconsider their decision, Glenzke/Grossner will not perform together in future championships.
Are the two ladies refusing to play together in the future if they do not have the support they once had or is it because one does not want to be associated with the other anymore?
Currently it looks as if they are going to split up. Nadja Glenzke is still going to be supported and will probably team up with another partner. If they stayed together, Glenzke would obviously also lose the support by the German volleyball association.
It is sad that DVV has decided not to support Grossner. I believe Grossner deserves another chance, don’t you think so? Thank you for sharing.
Ramandeep
I agree. DVV officials should definitely change their mind and continue to support both players.
This shows again that technical skills alone do not make winners. Keep on fighting, Nadia&Julia. And the DVV should really revise their decision.
Indeed, this victory was more about motivation and determination…