Women's Shanghai 2005

2005 Informational Kit

SHANGHAI 2005 - Called in short in Chinese "Hu" or "Shen", Shanghai hosts China’s first double gender SWATCH-FIVB World Tour event as the country continues preparations for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.  Situated in the middle of China's east coastline, Shanghai has four distinct seasons with a population over 13 million.  Shanghai’s inhabitants are among the most hospitable and cheerful in the world and the city in which they live is both colorful and diverse. In addition to hosting a SWATCH-FIVB World Tour event for the second-straight year, Shanghai is noted for its many festivals, including the Shanghai Tourism Festival, the Longhua Temple Bell Striking on New Year’s Eve, the Longhua Temple Fair, the International Tea Culture Festival and the Orange Festival.  For shoppers, culinary connoisseurs and sight-seers, Shanghai is worth the visit, especially with China’s tallest building the Jim Mao Tower, which stands at 480 meters.  The Chinese city has often been referred to as a “shopping paradise” and all tastes are catered to in Shanghai.  Favorite foods from France, Russia, Italy, England, Japan and India will be found along with 16 styles of Chinese food can be tasted in any of the 1,000-plus restaurants throughout the city.

Men - Shanghai hosts the men for the first-time.  The men competed for the first-time in a SWATCH-FIVB World Tour event in China last season as Javier Bosma/Pablo Herrera of Spain upset Emanuel Rego/Ricardo Santos of Brazil in the finals at Lianyungang (5/19-23).  Three months later, the Brazilians defeated Bosma and Herrera for the Olympic gold medal in Athens.  Two Chinese teams finished 25th in the 2004 Lianyungang event.

Pic: (from left to right) - 2004 Lianyungang gold medallists Pablo Herrera and Javier Bosma.

Women – The women’s SWATCH-FIVB World Tour returns to Shanghai for the second-straight season as the international tour stages an event in China for the eighth season.  Dalian hosted women’s stops three times where Brazil’s Adriana Behar/Shelda Bede (1998 and 1999) and Liz Masakayan/Elaine Youngs of the United States (2000) won gold medals.  Two Maoming stops saw Adriana/Shelda (2001) and Misty May/Kerri Walsh of the United States (2002) win titles.  The 2003 Lianyungang event was won by Rebekka Kadijk/Marrit Leenstra for the Netherland’s pair only FIVB title.  The best finishes for women’s teams from China have been fourths, including a “final four” finish in 2001 by Rong Chi/Zi Xiong at Maoming and 2004 by Lu Wang/Whenhui You at Shanghai.

2004 Shanghai Women's Podium

1.  Holly McPeak/Elaine Youngs, USA

2. Annett Davis/Jenny Johnson Jordan, USA

3. Shelda Bede/Adriana Behar, Brazil

Gold Medal match - McPeak/Youngs def. Davis/Johnson Jordan 21-17, 21-13 (34 minutes)

Bronze Medal match - Adriana/Shelda def. Lu Wang/Wenhui You, China, 24-22, 21-17 (44)

Pic: (from left to right) - Jenny Johnson Jordan, Annett Davis, Holly McPeak, Elaine Youngs, Shelda Bede and Adriana Behar.