Maurice Lacroix welcomes the beach volleyball duo, Joana Heidrich and Anouk Vergé-Dépré to the ML Crew

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Swiss luxury watch brand Maurice Lacroix has added the beach volleyball duo, Joana Heidrich and Anouk Vergé-Dépré to the ML Crew, a group of talented individuals from around the world.

In 2020, they won several medals, culminating in Gold at the European Championships in Jurmala. Moreover, they are ranked No 12 in the world, albeit the Swiss pairing continue to strive for even more success.

Joana’s journey began when she watched her compatriots, Patrick Heuscher and Stefan Kobel win bronze at the Olympic Games in Athens. She immediately knew that she wanted to compete in the sport.

Anouk’s romance with beach volleyball followed a different route. Her father was an elite indoor volleyball player who represented the French National Team, while her mother played in Switzerland’s women’s volleyball first league. It was her parents who attracted Anouk to indoor volleyball before she went on to compete in beach volleyball.

Joana Heidrich and Anouk Vergé-Dépré

As beach volleyball duo, Joana cites two particular reasons for choosing Maurice Lacroix, “We like the idea of being associated with a brand that is known for making accessible and quality watches that are perfectly suited for daily wear. They encompass traditional Swiss craftsmanship and incorporate numerous refinements and details. They look incredibly elegant. In addition, we feel an affinity to the brand as it joins ML Crew members on their journey, sharing experiences together, both good and bad.”

Anouk adds, “On the way to your goal, you experience great successes, encounter challenges and overcome obstacles. In the end, it is not merely the goal, but the story that is written along the way.”

The two athletes, who make up the Heidrich/Vergé-Dépré team, see precision as a characteristic common to both beach volleyball and watchmaking. As Joana explains: “To succeed on the field we must employ a winning blend of technique, performance and high precision. Clearly, these are prerequisites essential in the making of luxury watches.”

The two athletes have worked together 300 days per annum since 4 years. They are ambitious and their resolve remains undiminished: they want to win as many medals as possible, competing at major events such as the World Championships, the World Cup and the Olympic Games.

JOINT ACHIEVEMENTS

  • FIVB WORLD RANKING: N° 12 (ranking “frozen” due to Covid-19)

2020

• Gold medal, European Championships Jurmala, Latvia
• 4th place King of the Court Utrecht, the Netherlands
• Silver medal, Beach Cup, Reichenburg, Switzerland
• Silver medal 1 * Open Baden, Germany Austria
• Gold medal, German Tour Düsseldorf, Germany

2019

• 9th place, 4 * FIVB World Tour The Hague, the Netherlands
• 9th place, 4 * FIVB World Tour Ostrava, Czech Republic
• 9th place, 4 * FIVB World Tour Warsaw, Poland
• 9th place, World Championships Hamburg, Germany
• 4th place, European Championships Moscow, Russia
• Gold medal, 4 * FIVB World Tour Moscow, Russia
• 4th place, World Tour Finals Rom

2018

• Gold medal, Coop Beachtour Zürich, Switzerland
• 9th place, 4 * FIVB World Tour Xiamen, China
• Silver medal, 4 * FIVB World Tour Itapema, Brazil

2017

• Silver medal, 4 * FIVB World Tour The Hague, the Netherlands
• 4th place, 5 * Swatch Major Series Gstaad, Switzerland
• 5th place, 5 * Swatch Major Series Porec, Croatia
• 5th place, 5 * Swatch Major World Finals
• Swiss Champions