Poland once again proved untouchable on the sand, powering to a second straight world title with a commanding 2-0 (21-13, 21-10) win over Latvia in Friday’s gold medal match at the 2025 WPV Beach ParaVolley World Championships, while the United States celebrated a historic first podium finish at Pompei Beach.

Poland’s Dariusz Cegielka, Filip Gaca and Artur Wasowicz were in complete control from the opening serve, denying Latvia’s Andrejs Filipavics, Dmitrijs Silovs and Maksis Karlis Grandbergs any opportunity to shift the momentum. The defending champions’ precision and consistency under pressure reaffirmed their dominance as they successfully defended the title they first claimed in 2024.

In the semifinals, Poland reached the final after holding off USA 1’s Abram Gornik, Andrew Nation and Kyler Carl Moore 2-0 (24-22, 21-17), fending off late American rallies in both sets. Latvia advanced with a decisive 2-0 (21-16, 21-8) win over Kazakhstan’s Bauyrzhan Urazaliyev, Azimkhan Bekbolatov and Yerbolat Altayev, continuing their sharp attacking form from the pool stage.

USA 1, however, rallied to end their campaign on a high, claiming a hard-fought 2-1 (18-21, 21-14, 15-8) victory over Kazakhstan in the bronze medal match. Gornik, Nation and Moore recovered from a slow start to dominate the final two sets, combining disciplined serving with strong blocking at the net. The result gave the United States their first Beach ParaVolley World Championships medal — the naton’s best result since winning the 2019 WPV Beach World Series in Pingtan, China.

In the classification matches, Slovakia’s Martin Dubovsky, Pavol Sedlak and Erik Nevolny earned fifth place with a spirited 2-1 (19-21, 21-9, 15-11) comeback over Türkiye 1’s Metin Karaca, Hasari Kose and Selim Akyayla. USA 3’s John Ekdom, Danny Alvarez Rivadeneira and Jacob Keen prevailed over compatriots USA 2’s Kurtis Larson, Robert Rodriguez and Kyle Mason 2-1 (18-21, 24-22, 15-11) for seventh, while Türkiye 2’s Samet Can Karasu, Barış Şimşek and Süleyman Bayram Atilgan concluded their home campaign in ninth place.

The 2025 WPV Beach ParaVolley World Championships formed part of the inaugural World Abilitysport Beach Games, the first global multi-sport event dedicated to beach and aquatic Para disciplines. Set along Mersin’s 116-kilometre coastline, the tournament brought together nine teams from six nations, highlighting the sport’s growing competitiveness and international reach.

Poland’s victory in Mersin confirmed their position as the leading force in the men’s standing beach discipline, capping a week of high-level competition and growing global participation in Beach ParaVolley.

Final Standings

1. Poland
2. Latvia
3. United States 1
4. Kazakhstan
5. Slovakia
6. Türkiye 1
7. United States 3
8. United States 2
9. Türkiye 2