Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2008-08-23 03:55:59

(BEIJING, August 23) — In a thrilling final match, No. 2 seeds Philip Dalhausser and Todd Rogers of the United States claimed the gold medal by defeating Fabio Magalhaes and Marcio Araujo of Brazil 2-1 (23-21, 17-21, 15-4) in the Men’s Olympic Beach Volleyball competition, one day after another US team, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, claimed the title in the Women’s competition.

Throughout the match, Dalhausser impressed fans with his extraordinary blocking ability, especially in the deciding set, when he stunned the opponents with three consecutive blocks.

Araujo acknowledged the role Dalhausser played in deciding the outcome of the match:

“Phil (Dalhausser) was more successful today but Fabio (Magalhaes) also blocked brilliantly in their matches. We had two or three matches in this tournament that were won by Fabio’s blocks. We have the three best blockers in the world seated at this table, but today was Phil’s (Dalhausser) day.”

The bronze medal went to Athens 2004 gold medalists Ricardo Santos and Emanuel Rego of Brazil, who overpowered Georgian pair Jorge Terceiro and Renato Gomes in the bronze medal match, with an unusually large margin in both sets.

Despite losing the last semifinal match and the opportunity of defending the title, Santos and Rego performed impressively in this match, while Terceiro and Gomes failed to deliver convincing performances to prove they deserve their place among the last four in the tournament, and the match ended in Santos and Rego’s overwhelming 2-0 victory (21-15, 21-10).

Updated: 2008-08-22 13:05:39

Philip Dalhausser tries to block a shot. (Photo credit: Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)

(BEIJING, August 22) — Philip Dalhausser and Todd Rogers of the United States won the gold medal by defeating Fabio Magalhaes and Marcio Araujo of Brazil 2-1 (23-21, 17-21, 15-4) on Friday in a thrilling final match in the Olympic Men’s Beach Volleyball competition.

The Brazilian duo found form early in the first set, and Fabio’s block gave the Brazilian side a 6-1 lead.

However, the US pair clawed back into the match, with Dalhausser showing why he has been named the best blocker in Beach Volleyball for the past two years. The 2.06m-tall American put in a pair of blocks that gave his team an 11-10 lead.

The set was evenly matched, but Fabio smashed the ball into the net and gave his opponents a narrow 23-21 win in the first set.

In the second set, Dalhausser blocked to earn his team a 9-8 lead, which was extended through a dink spike by Rogers. Dalhausser’s heavy spike changed the score to 13-10.

Double blocks by Fabio helped his team establish a margin of three points. After the score was tied on 15-15, the Brazilian duo managed a 6-2 run which helped them beat the US pair 21-17 and force the match into a third set.

The deciding set was much less competitive than expected. After an early 6-1 lead, Dalhausser stole the show by exhibiting his amazing defensive abilities with three consecutive blocks. Fittingly, it was his block that ended Fabio’s spike and wrapped up the third set 15-4.

Updated: 2008-08-22 12:58:25

(L-R) Fabio Magalhaes/Marcio Araujo, Philip Dalhausser/Todd Rogers and Ricardo Santos/Emanuel Rego (Photo credit: Gaesang Dawa/Xinhua)

Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers of the United States defeated Marcio Araujo and Fabio Luiz Magalhaes of Brazil in the Beach Volleyball final at the Beijing Olympics on Friday.

The US athletes won 2-1 (23-21, 17-21, 15-4).

Todd Rogers (L) spikes the ball over Fabio Magalhaes. (Photo credit: Sadat/Xinhua)
Philip Dalhausser tries to block a shot from Fabio Magalhaes. (Photo credit: Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Philip Dalhausser blocks a shot from Fabio Magalhaes. (Photo credit: Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Philip Dalhausser (R) and Todd Rogers celebrate their victory. (Photo credit: Gaesang Dawa/Xinhua)

Updated: 2008-08-22 11:02:44

Ricardo Santos (L) spikes the ball over Renato Gomes. (Photo credit: Sadat/Xinhua)

Ricardo Santos/Emanuel Rego of Brazil defeated Renato Gomes/Jorge Terceiro of Georgia to grab the bronze medal for Men’s Beach Volleyball.

Ricardo Santos (R) and Emanuel Rego reach for the ball. (Photo credit: Gaesang Dawa/Xinhua)
Emanuel Rego (R) spikes the ball. (Photo credit: Gaesang Dawa/Xinhua)
Emanuel Rego celebrates. (Photo credit: Gaesang Dawa/Xinhua)

Updated: 2008-08-22 10:31:15

Ricardo Santos (R) and Emanuel Rego reach for the ball. (Photo credit: Gaesang Dawa/Xinhua)

(BEIJING, August 22) — Athens 2004 gold medalists Ricardo Santos and Emanuel Rego of Brazil thumped Georgian pair Jorge Terceiro and Renato Gomes in straight sets today, thus winning the bronze medal of the Olympic Men’s Beach Volleyball competition.

In a sport characterized by tight scores, the 21-15, 21-10 score line was a fair indication of the massive gulf between the two sides. Santos and Rego, were upset by their compatriots Marcio Araujo and Fabio Magalhaes in the semifinal, but they showed their class by totally outplaying Terceiro and Gomes.

Santos in particular was finding all the gaps on the Georgian side of the court with deft touches and powerful spikes.

Terceiro and Gomes, who were born in Brazil but have changed nationality to play for Georgia, seemingly did not have the skills to keep up with Santos and Rego. The bearded Terceiro made repeated attempts to gee up the crowd, but he should have concentrated more on his own game as he made some careless mistakes, including a serve that did not make it over the net.

Santos and Rego will be disappointed not to win a second consecutive gold medal, but their resounding win today left Gomes in no doubt about their status as the best Brazilian team.

“The two teams (the Brazilian teams) know each other very well so it was a very difficult match when they played each other. Either team could have won. But for me, personally, Ricardo and Emanuel are the best,” said Gomes after he and Terceiro lost the bronze medal match.

Updated: 2008-08-22 09:50:03

(BEIJING, August 22) — Ricardo Santos and Emanuel Rego of Brazil beat Georgian pair Jorge Terceiro and Renato Gomes in the bronze medal match of the Olympic Men’s Beach Volleyball competition. The straight sets victory (21-15, 21-10) earned the Brazilian pair their second Olympic medal, following their gold medal at Athens 2004.

Updated: 2008-08-21 22:39:03

(BEIJING, August 11) – The two powerhouse countries of Men’s Beach Volleyball will clash in the gold medal match tomorrow when the United States’ Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers play Brazil’s Marcio Araujo and Fabio Magalhaes.

In the semifinal on August 21, Araujo and Magalhaes upset their compatriots, Athens 2004 gold medalists Emanuel Rego and Ricardo Santos.

Dalhausser and Rogers’ appearance in tomorrow’s final marks a return to medal contention for the United States in Men’s Beach Volleyball. Teams from the United States won gold medals at Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000, but did not win any medals at Athens 2004.

The US pair’s Olympic campaign has not gone completely smoothly. Dalhausser and Rogers lost their first match against Martins Plavins and Aleksandrs Samoilovs of Latvia, but they quickly recovered and won all their other matches.

In fact, one could be forgiven for thinking that the American pair lost their first match on purpose because the loss actually put them in a weaker bracket of the elimination round.

“It was a blessing in disguise. It put us in a weaker bracket and we would have been in a much tougher bracket (if we had beaten Latvia), with three top-seeded teams. It worked out for us,” said Dalhausser after he and Rogers won their semifinal against Renato Gomes and Jorge Terceiro of Georgia.

Araujo and Magalhaes were ecstatic after defeating Rego and Santos in the semifinal: “When you play them (Santos and Rego) you have to play at 100 per cent, to beat them you have to play at 101 per cent, and I think we played about 120 per cent today,” said Araujo after his and Magalhaes’ semifinal victory.

The two finalists have played each other a total of seven times, with Araujo and Magalhaes winning five matches. However, the teams have only met once in 2008, with Dalhausser and Rogers winning in straight sets at the Moscow Grand Slam.

Gomes and Terceiro will take on Rego and Santos in the bronze medal match that precedes the final. Although Gomes and Terceiro are playing for Georgia, both players were born in Brazil, which is the true powerhouse of the men’s game.

If Dalhausser and Rogers win tomorrow, then both gold medals in the men’s and women’s competitions will go to the United States because Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh defeated Tian Jia and Wang Jie of China in the women’s final today.

Men’s bronze medal match: Renato Gomes and Jorge Terceiro (Georgia) vs Ricardo Santos and Emanuel Rego (Brazil), 9 a.m. local time (UTC/GMT

Men’s gold medal match: Philip Dalhausser and Todd Rogers (the United States) vs Fabio Magalhaes and Marcio Araujo (Brazil), 11 a.m. local time (UTC/GMT