The German stars going for glory on home sand

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“Hamburg here we come!” Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst will be looking forward to playing in their home city in June.

In case you didn’t know we’re heading to Hamburg for the first stop on our summer spectacular, bringing back beach volleyball to Germany for the first time in three long years!

And there are four players who are head over heels about our German extravaganza on the sand: Olympic hopes and Hamburg’s very own Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst and Markus Böckermann and Lars Flüggen.

Superstars Walkenhorst and Ludwig are one of the most talked-about teams on the women’s tour – something we witnessed with our own eyes when they came oh so close to winning gold at the Swatch Beach Volleyball FIVB World Tour Finals in Fort Lauderdale last year.

Although they had to settle for silver on that scorching day in the Florida sun, the dazzling duo are now eyeing success in Rio de Janeiro.

But to guarantee their place on the Copacabana they need to earn enough qualification points…and what’s the last chance on the tour to add to these? You guessed it…at our #HamburgMajor!

Walkenhorst and Ludwig are of course no strangers to the city, they are part of Team Hamburg and both live in the city when they are not travelling the world showcasing their beach volleyball talents

Ludwig especially loves it at home…the last time a beach volleyball tournament was held in Hamburg she stood on top of the podium! Together with Sara Niedrig she struck gold at the CEV European Championship Final in 2008.

Fast forward eight years and Ludwig and her partner already have one foot in Rio thanks to an impressive tally of qualification points – sitting pretty in third behind Brazilians Larissa/Talita and Agatha/Barbara in the provisional ranking table.

However, the tournament will be an even bigger deal for fellow Hamburgers Markus Böckermann and Lars Flüggen. The boys have done their best to add to their points with a fifth place finish in Victoria and a fourth place finish in Doha this year. And you can be sure they will desperate to put on a good show for the home crowd in June.

So there you have it. Your teams need you, people of Hamburg! Remember to keep 7-12 June free in your diaries and make sure you head to the Rothenbaum for what promises to be a typically fun and frantic week on the sand!