Olympics 2024: Ana Patricia/Duda end Brazil’s gold drought

Ana Patricia and Duda ended a 28-year gold medal drought. Since the sport's debut at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, no Brazilian women's pair had won Olympic gold. Although the Brazilian team initially trailed by six points in the first set, they significantly improved their performance. While the second set was dominated by the Canadians, the 26-year-old Brazilians showcased their exceptional skills in the decisive third set.

A brief emotional moment caused a stir in the final when Canada’s top player, Melissa Humana-Paredes, mishit a spike at 7:11 and gestured over her opponent Ana Patricia. With her family seated behind the Brazilian duo, a misunderstanding arose, leading the Brazilians to believe that Humana-Paredes was provoking them. After a heated exchange at the net, the DJ calmed the situation with John Lennon’s "Imagine."

The final then proceeded without further incident, with the world number one Brazilians ultimately clinching Olympic gold. Harmony was restored after the game as the players embraced each other. Thumbs up for the DJ's brilliant musical performance.

Swiss take bronze

In the third-place match, the Swiss duo Tanja Hüberli and Nina Brunner celebrated a clear 2-0 (21:17, 21:15) victory over the Australian pair Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy. Following their dramatic semifinal loss to Canadians Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson, Hüberli and Brunner displayed impressive mental strength in the small final at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. From the first point, they dominated the game, continually putting pressure on their Australian opponents.

Hüberli and Brunner became the third Swiss beach volleyball duo to win a medal at the Olympics. This feat was achieved by Patrick Heuscher and Stefan Kobel in Athens in 2004, and in 2021, Joana Mäder (formerly Joana Heidrich) and Anouk Vergé-Dépré stood on the Olympic podium. All three Swiss teams each won bronze.