RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Sunday morning, January 31st, the two pairs to represent Brazil in the Tokyo Olympic Games in beach volleyball, Ágatha/Duda and Ana Patricia/Rebecca, won the ‘Campeãs da Areia’ challenge. The three-sets tournament was held on Urca beach in Rio de Janeiro and brought national athletes face to face with German and Canadian stars.
In the first set, Canadians Heather Bansley and Brandie Wilkerson beat Ana Patricia and Rebecca by 15 to 10. The second set saw German Olympic champion Laura Ludwig and Maggie Kozuch beat Ágatha and Duda by 15-13. However, by rule, the last set, which placed the two quartets face to face, had doubled weight. And with the Brazilian win by 15 to 14, in an exciting turn in the set’s final straight, the Brazilian players had their party at home.
The most experienced among the Brazilians, vice-champion Ágatha, 37 years old, celebrated the opportunity of meeting such traditional opponents again. “We were very excited about this event, particularly to dispute the quartet. We started behind and we tried hard. At the end of it all, despite the results in the pair matches, we eventually won for Brazil. It was great fun, but there’s this very serious aspect, being able to face top-level pairs, who we will certainly find on our way to the World Circuit or the Olympic Games,” Agatha said.
With a passion for Rio de Janeiro and Brazil, Olympic champion Laura Ludwig praised the event and the paradisiacal court, set up at Forte São João, facing Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf Mountain. “When the quartet dispute ended our feeling was: ‘Is it over? We want to play more’. It was a great experience, with a beautiful view, of Rio de Janeiro itself. To confront the Brazilians again after such a long time was very interesting for us at the start of the season”, said the German representative.
Source: Agencia Brasil