Louis Laville has described the 2024 European Pickleball Championship as “one of the best pickleball weekends of my life” following England’s triumph.
The team reached the final in every event in Southampton over the course of the tournament, and topped the table, with Spain second and Italy third.
Saturday started off well, with Laville taking an important role before the action started: “It was an honour for me to be the flag-bearer in the opening ceremony,” he says.
And England won both mixed doubles categories, in the 50+ and open, rotating their pairs around over the course of the day – with Richard Love and Anna Linton playing the 50+ final and James Chaudry and Thaddea Lock getting the job done in the open final. Laville is quick to note: “I’ve seen James and Thaddea play for years now, and that was the best I’ve ever seen them play together. They were absolutely phenomenal.”
On Sunday, England lost all four finals in competitive matches, but ultimately won the championship overall – a recognition of their consistency.
“We reached every final and won two of them, and came through as European champions, which was unbelievable,” says Laville. “Everyone was celebrating, the noise was there, we were singing Sweet Caroline. Singing the national anthem was a proud moment. We were dancing and cheering!
“It was one of the best pickleball weekends I’ve ever had – having the camaraderie of cheering on your team is something you don’t experience very much. Having 250 people round the court and thousands of people joining the stream at home watching is an awesome moment.
“It was an unbelievable weekend.”
Team England played their heart out last weekend and they thoroughly deserved winning the overall championship. We do need to learn from the Spanish and Italian how to channel our support to increase the noise though, to be less inhibited! There will only ever be the first European Championships and we were lucky enough to have them in England and there will only ever be one First England Team and they set the bar high!