2021 FIVB Beach World Championships rescheduled for June 2022

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, April 23, 2020 – The FIVB has announced that the 2021 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships have been rescheduled for June 2022 in Rome, Italy due to significant changes to the global sports calendar following the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 in light of the global coronavirus pandemic.

The 2021 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships were originally scheduled for summer in Rome, Italy as part of a joint agreement between the FIVB, the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Sport e Salute and the Italian Volleyball Federation (FIPAV). However, following the rescheduling of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, a meticulous review of the subsequent impact on next year’s sports calendar, and close consultation with the FIVB Board of Administration, all parties have agreed that rescheduling the event to June 2022 is the optimal solution to ensure a spectacular event.

The World Championships will remain in the Italian capital, a city which has continuously proved its beach volleyball hosting credentials by holding many distinguished events at its famous Foro Italico venue. Just last year, Rome welcomed thousands of fans for an incredibly successful FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Finals, which generated more than 36 million impressions on social media and was broadcast live in over 70 countries.

FIVB President Ary S. Graça Fᵒ said:

“We believe that rescheduling the 2021 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships was the best solution in light of the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. We are also delighted that this event will remain in Italy, a nation with a proud sporting history. Rome hosted a very successful FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in 2011, and we are extremely proud to bring this prestigious tournament back to the country. We may have to wait a little longer now to crown our new beach volleyball world champions, but it will undoubtedly be worth it when we witness the greatest players go head to head in 2022.”

The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships is held every two years and brings together the very best beach volleyball players, battling it out in pursuit of the world title. The previous edition of the event was held in Hamburg, Germany in 2019 and saw Russia's Oleg Stoyanovskiy and Viacheslav Krasilnikov claim men's gold, whilst Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan took home Canada’s first women’s world title.  The 10-day competition also welcomed over 130,000 spectators, and was enjoyed by over 158 million viewers worldwide.