PARIS (AP) — Brazil won a tense, three-set final to claim the women’s beach volleyball gold medal at the Paris Olympics on Friday night, finishing off the Canadians following a nose-to-nose confrontation at the net that needed the intervention of the referee — and the Eiffel Tower Stadium DJ.
Ana Patrícia and Duda rallied from an 11-5 deficit to win the first set and, after Canada won the second, the Brazilians never trailed in the third. It was 12-7 in the tiebreaking set when, after a joust at the net, Brandie Wilkerson began shouting and pointing at Duda.
The second referee, the one at sand level, moved out to separate the two players, but Wilkerson continued to argue; she was shown a yellow card. As the Brazilians got into position to serve for the next point, the DJ began playing John Lennon’s “Imagine,” its lyrics calling for unity and peace.
The players laughed, and the Canadians also clapped in approval. The crowd applauded and then began singing along.
One Olympiad after Brazil was shut out at the Summer Games for the first time since beach volleyball was added to the program in 1996, the country not only returned to the podium but climbed to the top step.
Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson will return to Canada with the country’s first beach volleyball medal since the men won bronze at the Atlanta Games. That team was coached by Humana-Paredes’ father.
Switzerland beat Australia in straight sets in the third-place game earlier Friday night to earn the bronze medal.
Nina Brunner and Tanja Huerberli beat Tokyo silver medalists Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar 21-17, 21-15 in 39 minutes. It was the second Summer Games in a row that a Swiss team took the bronze medal, coming three years after Joana Heidrich and Anouk Vergé-Dépré placed third in Tokyo.
On the men’s side, Sweden was set to face Germany for gold on Saturday night, with Norway and Qatar playing for the bronze.
