Bjørn Maaseide

Bjørn Maaseide ( born March 7, 1968 in Stavanger ) is a former Norwegian beach volleyball player. He was European champion and participated in three Olympic tournaments. His sister Kathrine Maaseide is also a successful beach volleyball player.

Career

1991 Maaseide formed a permanent duo with his longtime partner Jan Kvalheim. Two years later, Kvalheim / Maaseide competed at the first European Championship and were subject only in the final the Frenchman Jodard / Penigaud. The next European Championship tournament in Almería could then decide in the final against the Spanish duo Javier Bosma and Santiago Aguilera for the Norwegians. In addition, they won in the first several open tournaments in Miami, Marseille and Berlin. 1994/95 they were the FIVB tour champions. At the World Series in 1996, they missed only two tournaments in the top ten. In the first Olympic tournament they had to Jörg Ahmann and Axel Hager defeated before they even survived a few games in the losers bracket.

1997 in Los Angeles, she arrived at the first World Cup on 17th place in the same year they lost the final of the European Championships in Riccione against their compatriots Vegard Hoidalen and JORRE André Kjemperud. 1998 Rhodes they repeated the result after a defeat against the Swiss brothers Martin and Paul Laciga. While they never got in the World Cup 1999 on the 25th place, they won third in the European Championships in Palma their next medal, which they were five times at the European Championships on the podium. In her second Olympic participation in 2000 in Sydney they missed the knockout stages and occupied space 19 Then they parted ways.

Maaseide played from 2001 Iver Horrem. The new duo had to at the World Championships in Klagenfurt to three sets defeat to eventual champions Baracetti / Conde in the first round pass. Two years later, she lost in Rio de Janeiro in the same round against Christoph Dieckmann and Andreas Scheuer plow. After the fifth place at the European Championship in Timmendorfer beach Maaseide experienced in Athens in 2004 his third Olympic tournament, but ended after the first round. He then announced his retirement and devoted himself to economic activities.

2007, however Maaseide returned with Horrem back in the sand. At the World Championships in Gstaad, there was the third time in a row off in the first round, this time against the Brazilians Franco / Cunha. After the Norwegian duo had missed the intended qualification for the Olympic Games in Beijing, will Maaseide devoted the next World Cup. His commitment was there to bring this event to his hometown of Stavanger, where for ten years held a World Tour event. Sporty for the tournament Maaseide / Horrem was terminated early, they were eliminated without winning any set in the first round.