USA's May/Walsh net gold in Portugal

Misty May and Kerri Walsh of the United States scored a pair of upset wins on Saturday (July 28) to earn their first FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Gold Medal together, by defeating top-seeded Adriana Behar and Shelda Bede of Brazil in the finals in Espinho, Portugal.

While the USA women were gathering a pair of medals, Stein Metzger and Kevin Wong captured a seventh for the United States men's teams in the international event.

Seeded seventh, May (Costa Mesa, Calif.) and Walsh (Los Gatos, Calif.), upset Barbra Fontana and Elaine Youngs in Saturday's second semifinal, 21-15, 10-21, 15-13, before scoring a 22-20, 24-22 win in 49 minutes over Behar and Bede to net the $27,000 first-place prize.

A pair of Sydney 2000 Olympians for the United States, May (on the beach with Holly McPeak) and Walsh (on the fourth-place indoor team) teamed together earlier this year to play on the beach. May and Walsh, who had to win three elimination matches after losing to Fontana and Youngs in Friday's opening match, placed third earlier this season in Switzerland.

Sunday's Gold Medal was the seventh in May's two-season pro beach career, including four on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour. She won three international titles with McPeak last season when the pair placed fifth in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Walsh's title was her first international Gold Medal. Saturday's Gold Medal match was the 39th-time that the United States has faced Brazil in an international final with the Americans now winning 20 times.

For the eighth-time this season, the USA team of Fontana (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and Youngs (Encinitas, Calif.) earned a podium placement with a Bronze Medal finish. Fontana and Youngs defeated third-seeded Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst of Australia, the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Gold Medallists, 21-15, 11-21, 15-13 for the $14,000 third-place check.

While the women were gathering two medals, the USA men posted seventh and ninth-place finishes Saturday. Fourth-seeded Stein Metzger (Honolulu, Hi.) and Kevin Wong (Pearl City, Hi.) won two of three elimination matches Saturday to split $7,000 for seventh. Blanton (Laguna Beach, Calif.) and Fonoimoana (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) dropped both of their matches Saturday to place ninth and share $5,500.

Sunday's men's matches will open with semifinal contests as the Brazilian tandems of 13th-seeded Jose Loiola/Ricardo Santos and top-seeded Tande Ramos/Emanuel Rego battle teams from Canada and Switzerland for the Gold Medal. Loiola and Ricardo face 19th-seeded Jody Holden and Conrad Leinemann of Canada in the opening semifinal matches, while the Laciga brothers (Martin and Paul) of Switzerland challenge Tande and Emanuel.