Team USA dominated the field in the 2015 World Championships of Beach Ultimate (WCBU), taking gold in six of the seven divisions of play. Germany spoiled the USA sweep, taking its first gold medal ever in WFDF-sanctioned World Championship Ultimate play with its win in the Mixed gender division. The WCBU, co-sanctioned by the World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) and the Beach Ultimate Lovers Association (BULA), was held at the Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) Resort in Dubai from 8-13 March 2015. More than 1,100 players on 71 teams from 24 countries participated in this showcase event of Beach Ultimate, which featured 380 games in seven divisions of play over the course of the week.
“This was best Beach Ultimate Championship ever!” stated Patrick van der Valk, WFDF’s Beach Ultimate chair and BULA President. “The level of competition was unsurpassed and the teams exhibited great spirit of the game over the entire week." WFDF President Robert “Nob” Rauch added “The World Championship of Beach Ultimate has become one of the marquis World Championship Ultimate events. As our first event in the Middle East, we have been able to expand our geographic reach and it is exciting to see new countries participating on the world scene. This evidenced that Beach Ultimate is ready to be included as a program sport of the first edition of the Sportaccord World Beach Games, which is expected to be held in 2017.”
Medal results were as follows. In the Mixed Division, Germany took gold, followed by Canada and the USA, with India winning the Spirit award. In the Open Division, the USA came in first, with Great Britain and the Philippines coming in second and third. In the Women’s Division, it was USA, Russian Federation, and Great Britain. As evidence that competitive success does not have to come with poor sportsmanship, Team USA was selected by its peers as the winners of the Spirit award in both the Open and Women’s Divisions. In the Mixed Masters Division, the USA, Canada, and Australia were one-two-three, with Great Britain winning the Spirit award. In Open Masters, gold-silver-bronze were awarded to USA, Canada, and Philippines, respectively with Currier Island being selected as the Spirit winner. In the Women’s Masters Division, the USA, Canada, and Great Britain came in first, second, and third, with Germany being selected for the Spirit award. Finally, in the Grandmasters Division, the USA, Sweden, and Finland finished on top, with Germany again taking the Spirit prize. Full standings follow at the end of this release.
A total of 24 countries participated in the championship: Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Netherlands, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Russian Federation, Singapore, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, and USA. In addition, per Beach Ultimate tradition, an international all-star squad called Currier Island competed, although they were not eligible to participate in the medal rounds. This event represented the debut for a number of countries in the World Championship arena, including Kenya, Qatar, Uganda, and the United Arab Emirates.
BULA & WFDF World Championships of Beach Ultimate – Final Placings
8-13 March 2015, Dubai, UAE
|
Place |
Mixed |
Open |
Women's |
Masters – Mixed |
Masters – Open |
Masters – Women's |
Grand Masters |
Place |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
Germany |
USA |
USA |
USA |
USA |
USA |
USA |
1 |
|
2 |
Canada |
Great Britain |
Russia |
Canada |
Canada |
Canada |
Sweden |
2 |
|
3 |
USA |
Philippines |
Great Britain |
Australia |
Philippines |
Great Britain |
Finland |
3 |
|
4 |
Portugal |
Canada |
Canada |
Germany |
Great Britain |
Finland |
France |
4 |
|
5 |
Philippines |
Denmark |
Germany |
Great Britain |
France |
Germany |
Canada |
5 |
|
6 |
Sweden |
Australia |
Currier Island |
Currier Island |
Germany |
Philippines |
Currier Island |
6 |
|
7 |
Ireland |
Russia |
UAE |
|
India |
Currier Island |
Germany |
7 |
|
8 |
Russia |
Germany |
|
|
Currier Island |
|
Great Britain |
8 |
|
9 |
Netherlands |
France |
|
|
|
|
UAE |
9 |
|
10 |
Switzerland |
Japan |
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
|
11 |
Czech Republic |
India |
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|
|
|
11 |
|
12 |
Australia |
UAE |
|
|
|
|
|
12 |
|
13 |
Great Britain |
Singapore |
|
|
|
|
|
13 |
|
14 |
India |
Ireland |
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|
14 |
|
15 |
Japan |
Kenya |
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15 |
|
16 |
Uganda |
Qatar |
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16 |
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17 |
Slovakia |
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17 |
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18 |
UAE |
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18 |
|
|
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|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
Spirit |
India |
USA |
USA |
Great Britain |
Currier Island |
Germany |
Germany |
Spirit |