Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Javier and Joaquin Bello have made history as the first British team to win gold at the Elite 16 level, the highest tier of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour. In doing so, they turned a Cinderella story into reality by advancing from the qualifiers to the main draw, all the way to an unforgettable final match.
This gold medal represents a huge leap for the British Volleyball-funded pair, who have previously secured three bronze medals at Challenger and Futures events. Their success also coincides with an incredibly successful year, in which they have now reached a career-high ranking of 17th in the world.
The British Volleyball Federation could not be prouder to celebrate this historic moment with the brothers and their entire support team as they set their sights on the next 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
An Unforgettable Final
The final match was a nail-biting thriller, with the Bellos battling through three spectacular and hard-fought sets to secure victory in the longest, most intense, and closely contested match of the tournament. In a unique all-brothers battle of attrition against Nicolás and Tomas Capogrosso of Argentina, every set was decided by the narrowest of margins, with the first two pushed deep into overtime and the Bellos saving five match points in the second set.
In a fittingly dramatic finish, the 14th-seeded English brothers celebrated a gruelling 2-1 (22-24, 30-28, 15-13) victory over the Tokyo 2020 Olympians, showcasing the grit and skill that define their playing style, capturing the world’s imagination and making British beach volleyball history.
Javier was the match’s top scorer with 33 points, all from attack kills, but it was Joaquin who delivered at some of the most critical moments, leading the way with incredible recoveries, seven kill blocks, and a total of 24 points.
In their own words, Javier and Joaquin expressed the pride and joy of their historic victory:
“It’s a dream come true to live a moment like this, representing our country, our family and our people on the biggest stage and winning the first major gold for England. This is what we have been working towards for many years. We want to show that anything is possible when we come together, work hard and give everything for our goals.
“Thank you for all the support from back home. It means so much to have our family and team around us, and also our wider community that follow our journey. This is a huge breakthrough moment, England is on top of the beach volleyball world today, and this is only the beginning.”
The Journey to Gold
Seeded 14th in the 16-team main draw, the Bellos began their journey with an impressive 2-0 (21-16, 21-17) upset of sixth-seeded Paris 2024 Olympians Steven van de Velde & Matthew Immers of the Netherlands. Joaquin Bello made his mark with five critical kill blocks, setting the stage for a series of career-defining performances. Their next match was a close loss to Ahmed Tijan and Cherif Younousse of Qatar, the Tokyo 2020 bronze medallists and Paris 2024 semifinalists.
In their third and final Pool C match, the inspired Englishmen bounced back with a commanding 2-0 (21-11, 21-16) shutout of Brazil’s Pedro Sousa & Arthur Mariano, which was enough to secure their place in the quarterfinals as Pool C leaders. Joaquin was the best scorer of that match with 21 points to his name.
In the quarterfinal, the Bellos faced Ukaraine’s Sergiy Popov & Eduard Reznik and avenged their loss at the previous Elite 16 event in Joao Pessoa (BRA) last month with a solid straight sets victory, 2-0 (21-19, 21-13), propelled by Joaquin’s six kill blocks and Javier’s match-leading 21 attack kills. This secured a ticket to the team’s first-ever Elite16 semifinal appearance and kept their Cinderella story alive.
The semifinal saw the Bellos come up against Norway’s Anders Mol & Christian Sørum, whose impressive resume includes gold at Tokyo 2020, bronze at Paris 2024, 2022 World Champions, 2021 European Champions, and 25 gold medals on the World Tour. The monumental task did not faze the Bellos, who demonstrated exceptional resilience and skill to mount a huge comeback and celebrate a stunning 2-1 (18-21, 21-18, 15-12) victory amid a wave of incredible emotions. Joaquin led with 10 stuff blocks and 21 attack kills, out-blocking Mol – one of the best blockers the world has ever seen – by four blocks, further cementing the Bellos’ position among the world’s elite.
Image and content with thanks to FIVB Volleyball World
Unlocking British Beach Volleyball’s True Potential
The British Volleyball Federation wishes to extend heartfelt congratulations to Javier and Joaquin, as well as their support team, for this exceptional victory and the dedication and passion they put into beach volleyball.
The Bellos have marked their clear intent on their journey to the 2028 Olympics, having narrowly missed out on Paris 2024. Their achievement exemplifies the incredible potential of British beach volleyball and sends a powerful message: with adequate support, they can continue to succeed at the highest levels and win against the world’s best. Given their performance in Rio, the British Volleyball Federation calls upon UK Sport to recognise this significant milestone as it makes upcoming funding decisions for the next Olympic cycle. As a National Squad Support Funded (NSSF) sport, British beach volleyball has limited resources – but this landmark result proves what is possible with the right backing.
The British Volleyball Federation is thrilled to witness this defining moment in our sport’s history and is eager to support Javier and Joaquin’s continued journey on the world stage.