NEVZA Youth Beach 2026 day two round-up - Norway dominate list of semi-finalists

They have no less than six pairs competing in tomorrow’s last four match-ups, with the possibility of two more to follow them. 

They will all be bidding to clinch a gold medal, top place on the podium and qualification for the European Championships. 

But the other nations competing will be out to stop them, with hosts England, Finland, Sweden and Denmark all still having their own medal chances. 

U20 Men 

Yorkshire locals Maks Makowski and Josh Cosgrove pulled off one of the results of the day when they upset Amund Brundtland and David Stenberg 21-17, 21-18 in the U20 pool stages to deny the Norwegians in their bid to remain unbeaten and top Pool B. 

But they could not repeat the trick when they met their team-mates and countrymen Lewis Bunton and Bailey Harsum in the play-off to reach the semi-finals, with the number one seeds prevailing 21-19, 21-16. 

They will be joined in the last four by Brundtland and Stenberg, who recovered from their hiccup to beat Igor Boreysho and Martin Heinonen of Finland 21-19, 21-9. 

The other two teams to reach the final day went through automatically as pool winners. 

Norwegians Sebastian Lyngaas Kjemperud – a victor in this competition at U18 level – and Johannes Ringøen cruised through as Pool A winners with four wins from four. 

It was a close-run thing in Pool B, where Finland’s Kaapo Vanhatupa and Konsta Viljamaa took advantage of the Norwegian slip-up to edge top spot with an identical records of three wins and one defeat and the same set difference, but with a superior points ratio.  

U20 Women 

Things are still up in the air at the end of the second day in the U20 women’s section as there are still three matches to play. 

As it stands, Norwegians Hermine Fosmark and Maren Våge are well placed to go through to the gold medal match by finishing in the top two after winning all of their matches so far with just one game left. 

But they are being chased by their countrywomen Cathrine Hjeltnes and Tiril Skjold and Denmark’s Mila Lyø and Clara Skovsgaard, who have each won four and lost one. 

With third and fourth going into a bronze medal match from the single pool, Finland’s Anna Laaksonen and Sole Juuri-Oja will be involved after beating the three English teams who sit below them. 

U18 Men 

There was some welcome success for the host nation in the U18 men’s category as Yorkshire’s Emmauel Oretoye, a frequent player in the Bridlington sand, teamed up with Luca Robinson to head up Pool A with a 100% record thanks to an important win over second-placed Kalle Mikkelsen and Julius Hansen of Denmark. 

Topping Pool B were Norway’s Ludvig Ringøen and Liam Karlsen, who also stayed unbeaten to seal an automatic semi-final spot.

Having taken the Norwegians to three sets on Tuesday, it was no surprise that Sweden’s Casper Tjernqvist and Henrik Brus were too strong for Pool A’s third-placed side Mikkelsen and Hansen, booking their semi-final spot with a 21-10, 21-19 success. 

The other second-placed team, Pool A’s Martin Tollefsen and Emil Torsæter, also progressed, edging out Alex Cottee and Lucas Rijvers in a tight game, 21-18, 21-18. 

U18 Women 

In the U18 women’s category, the format was such that all the teams bidding for a semi-final place first had to win through a quarter-final stage. 

That proved to be no problem for the three pool winners, with Pool A’s top performers and defending champions Oda Skarlund and Stine Finholth getting the better of Sweden’s Amanda Östberg and Stina Strandahl 2-0 (21-16, 21-18). 

Pool B winners and fellow Norwegians Johanna Krane and Sina Straumstøyl put paid to the hopes of the home nation’s Tilly Hutton and Robyn Clifford (21-13, 21-14). 

Finland’s Pool C table toppers Maisa Kyröläinen and Nelli Waldén overcame England’s Lauren Thorn and Molly Quinn (21-14, 21-10), who had early beaten Denmark's Alva Høiby and Sofie Julsbæk in three to reach that stage. 

The fourth and final spot was taken by another Finnish pair, Miina Kojo and Isla Juselius, who ousted Swedes Lova Hägglund and Mtabingwa Demilo (21-19, 21-16) to set up a semi-final battle with their teammates – and guarantee finalists from their country. 

Images by Simon Clarke and Rosie Williams

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