Over 100 beach volleyball teams took part in this year's Beach Volleyball Classic on Weymouth's sands in the annual competition which also attracted thousands of spectators who weren't put off by the threatening clouds. As well as the best UK competitors, including Olympic team members, there was a sizeable entry from the continent, including Weymouth's twin town of Holzwickede in Germany. The Weymouth Classic titles went to Albrecht Glitz & Hendrick Neubert who went-point for-point with John Hedlund and Alika Williams in a remarkable third set battle in their mens' final on Sunday afternoon. In the women's competition, Denise Austin & Mo Glover beat Mel Coutts and Julie Smith in two sets. Meanwhile Mel Coutts and Garry Joyce were inducted into the Hall of Fame and Jo Bonner collected the Spirit of the Tournament prize.  | | Action from Weymouth's Beach Volleyball |
Weymouth Beach has hosted the event for the last 22 years and in that time the sport has exploded in popularity. The beach version of the sport is played by teams of two players on a court 16 metres long by 8 metres wide. It is now featured as an Olympic sport (when the Games come to London, the Olympic tournament will take place at Horse Guards Parade!). Organiser Graeme Sawyer told BBC Dorset: "The sport is getting stronger and stronger in resorts along the South Coast and we're getting better quality players. With the Olympics coming to London, they'll be a lot of British players striving for those team places. Here in Weymouth we hope it will help promote beach volleyball more and maybe we'll get some teams training down here." The Weymouth event is the biggest beach volleyball competition on the South Coast with a specially constructed show court surrounded by a beach grandstandand. The beach is the venue for volleyball sessions throughout the summer, with over 70 players regularly playing 2 or 4-aside matches. | 
