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US and Brazil set for beach battles at Olympic Games

Brazil’s Talita Antunes trains at the Beach Volleyball area ahead of the Olympics in Beijing, China, yesterday. PHOTO: EPA

The US and Brazil, two nations blessed with more sand and sun than most, will resume their battle for beach volleyball domination in Beijing after virtually monopolizing the gold in previous editions.

Since the television-friendly sport made its Games bow in Atlanta in 1996, Americans have won the men’s event twice, with Brazil taking gold in Athens in 2004.

In the women’s section, Brazil were champions in 1996, the US in 2004 with Australia breaking the stranglehold on home sand in 2000.

But that’s not to say the sport isn’t without surprises. In Athens, the US men’s team finished out of the medals while landlocked Switzerland, better known for its snow and mountains, snatched the bronze.

Leandro Pinheiro, Belgium’s Brazilian coach, said the host nation would be a factor too.

“The top teams here are China, Brazil and the USA,” he said after training at Beijing’s Chaoyang Park Beach volleyball ground, the Olympic venue. “After this all teams are the same so I think we will be OK.”

Ricardo Santos and Emanuel Rego won the men’s gold for Brazil in 2004, but this time around the Americans believe that their teaming of Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers can restore the country to the top.

They joined up in 2006 and last year became the first US duo to win the world title.

Swiss-born Dalhausser believes they have the perfect working relationship.

“We’re both low-key and keep to ourselves. I think we’re both level-headed and I think that’s huge because guys get fired up and then they try to pound the ball into the sand,” he said.

The US will be slight favorites to retain the women’s gold with Athens champions Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh still the country’s top-ranked pair.

In 2004, they put together winning streaks of 15 consecutive tournaments and 91 consecutive matches, runs that ended just before the Olympics.

“It’s different this time,” May-Treanor said. “Everybody is improving and getting better.”
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