Gstaad, Switzerland, July 10, 2019 - With the Swatch Major Gstaad the longest-running event in the 33-season history of the FIVB World Tour, here are the numbers associated with the 20th anniversary of the beach volleyball event that has been played in the Swiss Alps village since 2000.
In addition to hosting the longest-running FIVB event in World Tour history, Gstaad ties Rio de Janeiro in staging the most men's events with 19 tournaments.
•1 is for the first event in the Swiss Alps event village was held June 21-25, 2000 as a women's-only event with Brazilians Shelda Bede and Adriana Behar winning the gold medal.
Center court on June 21, 2000 when Gstaad hosted its first day of FIVB World Tour beach volleyball action.
•2 is for the number of podium-topping finishes for Shelda and Adriana in Gstaad with back-to-back wins in 2000 and 2001.
•3 is for the number of Gstaad gold medals for the Brazilian women's team of Juliana Felisberta/Larissa Franca with titles in 2005, 2010 and 2011.
•4 is for the number of podium placements in Gstaad for the legendary Brazilian men's team of Emanuel Rego/Ricardo Santos as the pair won gold medals in 2005 and 2006.
•5 is for the number of Gstaad quarter-final appearances for Swiss men's Olympian Sascha Heyer for his best finishes on the village courts.
•6 is for the number of gold medals won by Misty May-Treanor/Kerri Walsh Jennings of the United States with titles in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2011.
Americans Kerri Walsh Jennings (left) and Misty May-Treanor after winning the 2006 Gstaad women's gold medal match.
•7 is for the number of medals by Shelda with titles in 2000, 2001 and 2008.
•8 is for the number of medals won by Emanuel with three titles in 2005, 2006 and 2011.
•9 is for the number of medals by Larissa.
•10 is for the number of village appearances for Joana Heidrich, who placed fourth in 2017.
•11 is for the number of Gstaad appearances by Talita Antunes of Brazil, who topped the village podium in 2009, 2015 and 2016.
•12 is for the number of Gstaad appearances for Swiss-born and American Olympic champion Phil Dalhausser, who has won four gold medals on the village center court.
•13 is for the number of Gstaad appearances by Philip Gabathuler, the most by any Swiss men's player.
Philip Gabathuler of Switzerland
•14 is for the number of Gstaad participations by Pedro Solberg, who claimed gold medals in 2008 and 2016.
•15 is for the number of Swatch Major Gstaad appearances for Swiss Olympian Isabelle Forrer, the most by any women's player until being match Wednesday by Walsh Jennings.
Isabelle Forrer (left) with Gstaad promoter Ruedi Kunz (center) and Nadine Zumkehr
•16 is for the number of Gstaad appearances for Ricardo with three gold medal wins in 2005, 2006 and 2013.
•17 is for the number of countries that have placed on the podium the past 19 seasons at the Swatch Major Gstaad.
•18 is for the number of appearances by Austrian men's Olympian Clemens Doppler is Gstaad as he only missed playing in the village in 2008.
•19 is the number for newly-crowned world championships Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan of Canada, who won the 19th women’s Swatch Major Gstaad gold medal in 2018.
The podium placers from Germany and Canada with the presenters at the 19th Swatch Major Gstaad
•20 is for Russians Ksenia Dabizha/Daria Rudykh playing and winning the first match of the 20th Swatch Major Gstaad Tuesday on center court.