It’s
back to Brazil for the ladies of the Swatch – FIVB World
Tour between September 20 – 25 as the last competitive
event of the season hits the beaches of Rio de Janeiro.
Memories of Fortaleza, where the tour’s opening event
took place, will be distant and the thoughts of all
competitors will be solely on gaining final victory in
front of thousands of Beach Volleyball mad Brazilians.
Some say that Brazil is “the home” of Beach Volleyball,
and few who have seen just what this sport means to the
locals would argue.
Rio was the venue for last year’s Swatch Beach
Volleyball World Championships and the city, as usual,
put on a scintillating show for the masses. With home
favourites Adriana Brandao Behar and Shelda Kelly Bruno
present in the tournament’s final match there was so
much noise and atmosphere generated that one could have
forgiven their fellow finalists Misty May and Kerri
Walsh of America for deciding to pack up and race for
the nearest exit.
Yet
the Americans are made of stern stuff and not only did
they take the court on that spine tingling day, they
also managed to defeat the host team and win the world
title. A tight two sets to nil victory (21-19, 21-19)
left no-one in any doubt that May and Walsh were the
true queens of the sand.
With its fantastic party atmosphere Brazil is
traditionally the final stop on the annual SWATCH FIVB
World Tour. The Brazilian teams unsurprisingly live up
to their supporters' expectations with consistently
strong performances in front of a passionate and
exuberant home crowd and one can expect more of the same
in Rio in September.
It’s
back to Brazil for the ladies of the Swatch – FIVB World
Tour between September 20 – 25 as the last competitive
event of the season hits the beaches of Rio de Janeiro.
Memories of Fortaleza, where the tour’s opening event
took place, will be distant and the thoughts of all
competitors will be solely on gaining final victory in
front of thousands of Beach Volleyball mad Brazilians.
Yet
the Americans are made of stern stuff and not only did
they take the court on that spine tingling day, they
also managed to defeat the host team and win the world
title. A tight two sets to nil victory (21-19, 21-19)
left no-one in any doubt that May and Walsh were the
true queens of the sand.