DÜSSELDORF, Germany — Ukraine’s Maryna Hladun and Tetiana Lazarenko pulled off a sensational victory to win their country’s first-ever gold medal in the EuroBeachVolley.
Up against the unbeaten French team Vieira/Chamereau, the Ukrainians dropped a tight first set 21-23. But they weren’t backing down. With passion and grit, they stormed back in the second 21-18, setting up a nail-biting tie-break 16-14.
The final set was edge-of-your-seat drama. Ukraine started strong, France kept fighting, but in the end — it was Ukraine’s moment. With one final point, Hladun and Lazarenko secured a historic win and became the new European Champions.
“We can’t believe it — this is crazy!” said Hladun. “All our hard work, the struggles, the training — it finally paid off.”
Earlier, Germany’s Müller and Tillman, last year’s champions, claimed bronze with a solid straight-sets win over Spain’s Alvarez and Moreno.