Germany & Austria win World Championship titles
- 3 November 2024
Germany and Austria have claimed the U18 World Fistball Championships in 2024. In Llanquihue, Chile, Germany's U18 men defended their 2021 title in a thrilling 3-2 final victory over Brazil. Meanwhile, Austria’s U18 women dethroned Germany with a dominant 3-0 win, securing their own world championship title. Austria and Switzerland also claimed bronze in the men’s and women’s categories, respectively.
U18 Women: Austria’s Dominance Across the Tournament
Austria’s U18 women capped off an undefeated run with a decisive 3-0 (11:9, 11:7, 11:9) victory over defending champions Germany in the final. Led by the outstanding performance of main attacker Magdalena Karger, who was honored as MVP, Austria claimed their third U18 World Championship title, ending Germany’s four-title winning streak since 2014.
Switzerland clinched bronze after a solid 3-0 (11:8, 11:7, 11:8) win over Brazil in challenging conditions on the final day. After a hard-fought five-set match in the group stage, Switzerland ultimately proved stronger and celebrated their podium finish with pride.
Host Chile had already secured fifth place on Saturday evening with a convincing 3-0 (11:4, 11:5, 11:7) win over Argentina.
Final Standings:
- Austria
- Germany
- Switzerland
- Brazil
- Chile
- Argentina
U18 Men: Germany’s impressive Comeback
Germany’s path to the title was not smooth. After three consecutive losses in the group stage, they narrowly avoided missing the semifinals. However, they displayed remarkable resilience from the knockout rounds onward, defeating Austria 3-2 in the semifinals before clinching victory in another close final against Brazil. The teams exchanged set wins (11:7, 11:13, 12:10, 1:11) until Germany secured the deciding set, thus defending their world title.
Austria, the current European champions, rebounded from their semifinal loss by defeating Switzerland 3-1 (11:5, 11:8, 9:11, 11:7) to claim bronze.
Host Chile defeated Denmark 3-2 (12:10, 9:11, 11:6, 7:11, 11:9) for seventh place, while Namibia rallied from a 1-2 deficit to overcome Argentina 3-2 (11:6, 14:15, 7:11, 14:12, 11:9) to secure fifth place.
Final Standings:
- Germany
- Brazil
- Austria
- Switzerland
- Namibia
- Argentina
- Chile
- Denmark
Organizers in Chile ensure optimal conditions
For three days, the weather cooperated to provide ideal conditions at the Club Gimnástico Alemán Llanquihue in southern Chile. However, on finals day, players faced difficult weather, which did not diminish the festive spirit. “The organizers have created unforgettable U18 World Championships with warmth and attention to detail,” said International Fistball Association President Jörn Verleger. “The U18 World Championships are significant for us, and it’s wonderful to see so many smiles from both athletes and volunteers.”
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