Burnside student claims historic world silver in beach volleyball
Ryan Edgar and Thomas Turner have created Australian sporting history.
Burnside State High School Year 12 student Thomas Turner has etched his name into Australian sporting history, claiming a Silver Medal at the 2026 FIVB U18 Beach Volleyball World Championships in The Hague, Netherlands.
Partnering with fellow Australian Ryan Edgar, Turner helped the pair become the first Australian men's team to win a medal at the Junior Beach Volleyball World Championships.
The Australians arrived in the Netherlands in red-hot form, having been crowned 2026 Asian U18 Beach Volleyball Champions just two months earlier. That momentum carried through the tournament as they defeated a string of highly ranked junior teams to reach the gold medal match.
The standout moment came in a nail-biting semifinal against Poland. After dropping the first set, Edgar and Turner levelled the match before staring down multiple match points in a tense decider, ultimately prevailing 14–21, 21–17, 19–17 to secure Australia's first-ever men's World Championship medal in the category.
In the gold medal match, the Australians could not quite overcome Germany's Lasse Huper and Filo Wust, going down 21–17, 21–17 in a tightly contested contest.
Volleyball Queensland hailed the result, describing it simply as "History Made!" in recognition of the pair's breakthrough achievement for Australian men's beach volleyball.
The silver medal caps an outstanding year for Turner, who added the world title to his earlier Asian U18 Championship gold, cementing his status as one of the country's most promising young volleyball talents.
Burnside State High School said it was "incredibly proud" of Turner's achievement, praising his dedication, professionalism and humility, and voicing confidence in the next chapter of his volleyball career.
Turner and Edgar's success marks a milestone not only for their school, but for Australian beach volleyball as a whole, as the sport continues to grow on the international junior stage.