Men's Espinho 2005

2005 Informational Kit

ESPINHO 2005 – Renowned for its vast, sun-kissed beaches and wonderful selection of seafood restaurants, Espinho is a popular holiday town in Aveiro province that has developed a reputation as a fantastic venue for the SWATCH-FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour over the past 10 years.  The 2005 Portuguese Open on the Praia da Baia features a mixed gender event as the women return to Espinho for the first-time since 2001 when Olympic and World Champions Misty May and Kerri Walsh of the United States won their first-ever SWATCH-FIVB World Tour Beach Volleyball gold medal.  Situated on Portugal's northwestern coast known as the Costa Verde, Espinho is located 11 miles (18km) south of Porto.  In addition to the long stretch of golden sandy beach, Espinho has a a casino, bullfight ring, a range of shops, restaurants, hotels and campsites.  The town also boasts one of the oldest golf courses in the world, dating from 1890.

Women – For the first-time since 2001, the women’s SWATCH-FIVB World Tour returns to Espinho.  Women’s teams from the United States have won five of the previous gold medals on the Portugal coast, including four-straight as Olympic Champions Misty May and Kerri Walsh won their first ever FIVB title in Espinho.  The win by Brazilians Sandra Pires and Jackie Silva in 1996 was their first stop after capturing the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.  Ana Pereira and Maria Jose Schuller posted a 2000 Espinho seventh was the best finish by a Portugal team.  Pic (left to right):  FIVB President Ruben Acosta with Athens 2004 gold medallists Misty May and Kerry Walsh as Holly McPeak looks on.

Year – Espinho Gold Medal / Espinho Silver Medal / Espinho Bronze Medal

1995 – Holly McPeak/Nancy Reno, USA / Linda Hanley/Angela Rock, USA / Sandra Pires/Jackie Silva, Brazil

1996 – Pires/Silva, Brazil / /Monica Rodrigues/Adriana Samuel, Brazil / Shelda Bede/Adriana Behar, Brazil

1997 - Samuel/Rodrigues, Brazil, Shelda/Adriana, Brazil / Pires/Silva, Brazil

1998 - Barbra Fontana/Hanley, USA / Pires/Samuel, Brazil / Reno/Elaine Youngs, USA

1999 - Annett Davis/Jenny Johnson Jordan, USA / Natalie Cook/Kerri Pottharst, Australia / Liz Masakayan/Elaine Youngs, USA

2000 - Masakayan/Youngs, USA / Arce/Fontana, USA / Cook/Pottharst, Australia

2001 - Misty May/Kerri Walsh, USA / Shelda/Adriana, Brazil / Fontana/Youngs, USA

2004 Espinho Men's Podium

1.  Emanuel Rego/Ricardo Santos, Brazil

2.  Vegard Hoidalen/Jorre Kjemperud, Norway

3.  Marcio Araujo/Benjamin Insfran, Brazil

Gold Medal match - Emanuel/Ricardo def. Hoidalen/Kjemperud, 21-12, 22-20 (38 minutes)

Bronze Medal match - Marcio Araujo/Benjamin def. Markus Dieckmann/Jonas Reckerman, Germany, 21-16, 21-15 (41)

Pic (left to right):  Hoidalen, Kjemperud, Emanuel, Ricardo, Marcio Araujo and Benjamin.

Year – Portugal Gold Medal / Portugal Silver Medal / Portugal Bronze Medal

1995 - Franco Neto/Roberto Lopes, Brazil / Emanuel Rego/Ze Marco de Melo, Brazil /Javier Bosma/Sixto Jimenez, Spain

1996 - Mike Dodd/Mike Whitmarsh, USA /John Child/Mark Heese, Canada / Eduardo Martinez/Martin Conde, Argentina

1997 - Jan Kvalheim/Bjorn Maaseide, Norway / Franco/Roberto Lopes, Brazil / Child/Heese, Canada

1998 - Jose Loiola/Emanuel, Brazil / Kent Steffes/Whitmarsh, USA / Guilherme Marques/Para Ferreira, Brazil

1999 - Loiola/Emanuel, Brazil / Guilherme/Para, Brazil / Ze Marco/Ricardo, Brazil

2000 - Ze Marco /Ricardo, Brazil / Loiola/Emanuel, Brazil / Martin Laciga/Paul Laciga, Switzerland

2001 - Loiola/Ricardo, Brazil / M. Laciga/P. Laciga, Switzerland / Emanuel/Tande Ramos, Brazil

2002 - Stein Metzger/Kevin Wong, USA / Marcio Araujo/Benjamin Insfran, Brazil / Loiola/Ricardo, Brazil

2003 - Emanuel/Ricardo, Brazil / Vegard Hoidalen/Jorre Kjemperud, Norway / Andrew Schacht/Josh Slack, Canada

2004 - Emanuel/Ricardo, Brazil / Hoidalen/Kjemperud, Norway / Marcio Araujo/Benjamin, Brazil