Gold in women's beach volleyball consolidates Brazil as second biggest power in the Olympics

Team Brazil's athletes have stood out at the 2024 Paris Olympics and shown their strength in the competition. Of the three times that they have been on the top step of the podium, Brazil has been represented by women, and on Friday afternoon (9), it was the turn of the duo Ana Patrícia and Duda. By winning the final against the Canadians, Brazil once again became the gold medalist in an Olympics in beach volleyball after seven competitions and is now the second biggest winner in the sport, behind only the United States.

Brazilians were the first Olympic champions in beach volleyball

At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, beach volleyball was played for the first time as a demonstration, without the teams' results being included in the countries' medal tally. Four years later, in Atlanta, the sport was definitively included in the Olympic competition. The podium was contested by Brazilians, with Jaqueline and Sandra against Mônica and Adriana, with Jackie and Sandra winning the match by 2 sets to zero and taking the gold medal. Since then, 28 years have passed without Brazil having any representatives on the top step of the podium.

The wait ended this Friday (9), with Ana Patrícia and Duda. The duo beat the Canadian duo Brandie/Melissa in the tie-break by 2 sets to 1, in an electrifying match. Showing good harmony and confidence since the first game played in Paris, the Brazilian duo won the deserved gold medal, Brazil's third in this edition of the Olympic Games.

_{Jaqueline and Sandra, the first Olympic medalists in beach volleyball, in 1996 (Photo: reproduction/Ivo Gonzalez/Agência O Globo)}

Second in the sport ranking, but with more medals

Brazilian beach volleyball has shown that it remains competitive at the Olympic level, as evidenced by the overall medal tally in the sport. Brazil has won 14 medals, including 4 gold, 7 silver and 3 bronze, which gives it second place in the ranking. The United States leads with 11 medals, but has 7 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze. In official competitions, gold medals are counted as an advantage, which gives the Americans first place.

Men's doubles have also topped the podium. In Athens 2004, Emanuel and Ricardo won the country's first gold medal, and twelve years later, at Rio 2016, it was Alison and Bruno's turn.

Featured photo: Ana Patrícia and Duda were gold medalists in beach volleyball in Paris 2024 (reproduction/@santoslisboaduda/Luiza Moraes/COB)