Hockey players from the Metalurg team participated in a game of beach volleyball in Magnitogorsk
Chillin' in Magnitogorsk: Russian Beach Volleyball Championship Hits Main Stage
The fourth stage of the Russian Beach Volleyball Championship amped up the heat in Magnitogorsk, packing the stands full of enthusiastic spectators. The winners of the men's category, Ilya Leshukov and Oleg Stoyanovskiy from Novy Urengoy, and the women's tournament champions, Maria Egorova and Maria Lazurenko from Kaliningrad, stole the show. A gala match, starring Metallurg hockey players Egor Yakolev and Egor Korobkin, livened up the tournament, reported by the Russian Volleyball Federation's press service.
Oleg Stoyanovskiy, six-time Russian champion and Olympic silver medalist, couldn't hide his excitement over the event. "The organizers blew my mind! The new sand, central court in a tourist hotspot, and warm-up areas were a dream come true," he shared. "It felt like the World Series was right here in Magnitogorsk."
The festivities didn't stop at the competition. Before the medal matches, Gagarin Cup winners Egor Yakolev and Egor Korobkin, along with Maria Sedneva and Ekaterina Khramtsova, engaged in a fun mixed doubles match, with Khramtsova/Korobkin taking the win.
The nail-biting matches didn't disappoint. In the women's bronze medal match, Moscow's Academy representatives Makarova/Mastikova outscored Dynamo's Shchegoleva/Monina 2:0 (21:16, 21:16). The men's bronze medal battle was fierce, with Belarusians Dedkov/Petrushko pushing the Novy Urengoy duo of Zhavoronov/Kramarenko to the limit before bowing out 2:0 (24:22, 21:17).
The women's final saw Egorova/Lazurenko defeat Mochrich/Akmetova in three sets: 2:1 (21:17, 19:21, 15:11). The men's final was a nail-biter, with Zenit's Evert/Martynenko coming close to nabbing the first set but ultimately falling to the experienced Stoyanovskiy/Leshukov duo from Novy Urengoy's "Faкеl Yamal," who claimed their fourth victory of the season.
Notably, the Chelyabinsk pair of Anastasia Yashuk / Irina Yarchikhina struggled in the tournament. The athletes of the "Dinamo-Metar" club lost two matches and were eliminated from medal contention.
Magnitogorsk, known more for its metal industry and ice hockey teams like Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL, may be hosting or participating in other sports events, such as beach volleyball, although specific details are not available. For more detailed information about recent successes, participants, and top performances in the Russian Beach Volleyball Championship, especially in Magnitogorsk, check out local sports news outlets or the official website of the Russian Volleyball Federation.
Oleg Stoyanovskiy, expressing his enthusiasm, mentioned, "The World Series feels like it was right here in Magnitogorksk with the new sand, central court, and warm-up areas." In between the intense beach volleyball matches, a hockey match featuring Egor Yakolev and Egor Korobkin from Metallurg, known for their ice hockey prowess in Magnitogorsk, added another sporting spectacle to the event.
