Brazilian's take gold, USA's May/Walsh win bronze at FIVB Japan event

Top-seeded Misty May and Kerri Walsh of the United States had to settle for the bronze medal on Sunday, August 11, 2002, as Brazil reclaimed the top two spots on the podium with second-seeded Adriana Behar and Shelda Bede winning their fifth-straight FIVB Japanese Open title.

May (Costa Mesa, Calif.) and Walsh (Saratoga, Calif.) scored a 18-21, 21-12 and 15-8 win in 44 minutes over sixth-seeded Rebekka Kadijk and Marrit Leenstra of the Netherlands to split the $11,940 third-place prize. The win was the third in four meetings this season for May and Walsh over Kadijk and Leenstra, who shared $9,300 for fourth-place.

Behar and Bede, who claimed their 27th "open" FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour gold medal, scored a 21-17, 14-21 and 18-16 win over fourth-seeded Ana Paula Connelly and Tatiana Minello. It was the 18th time in 90 women's FIVB events where Brazil captured the top two medals. Sunday's title match was the first meeting this season between the two teams.

The streak of seventh-straight international titles this season for the United States was snapped when May and Walsh dropped a 24-22 and 21-19 semifinal decision in 40 minutes to Ana Paula and Minello, which have won two of three matches this season from their American rival.

Behar and Bede earned their 44th trip to a FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour gold medal match in 66 career starts together with a 21-16, 15-21 and 15-10 win in 43 minutes over Kadijk and Leenstra, who have now lost five-straight matches to the Brazilians the past two seasons.

Playing in their sixth-straight Japanese Open "final four," Behar and Bede have now defeated two teams from Brazil, and one each from Australia, Japan and the United States for Osaka gold. Behar and Bede have now won 32-straight matches on Osaka sand since losing the 1997 semifinal match.

Behar and Bede, who are 36-1 in Osaka, defeated May and Walsh for the 2001 Japanese title. Behar and Bede's only Osaka defeat was 17-15 in 70 minutes to Monica Rodrigues and Adriana Samuel of Brazil, the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games Silver Medallists and 1997 Japanese Open winners.

In 68 overall career starts, the Behar/Bede partnership has netted $1,389,716 in combined earnings. The Brazilians are the winningest men's and women's team ever on the FIVB Tour with 28 titles (including the 1999 Pan American Games) and $1,366,115 in 66 international starts.

The No. 1-ranked team in the world, May and Walsh won FIVB gold medals this season in Spain, Switzerland, Canada and last week in Austria. May and Walsh, who are now 47-6 in match play this season, have won six pro beach titles together. May has won 11 pro beach crowns. Each of Walsh's six gold medals has been with May, who had won her first five titles with McPeak.

May and Walsh, who have 11 podium placements together, have now earned $142,640 in earnings in eight FIVB events this season. Overall, May and Walsh have posted a 88-21 match mark in two seasons with a combined earnings of $254,390 (15th all-time for a women's team). On the FIVB Tour, May and Walsh are competing in their 16th international event with a 82-19 match mark and $245,640 in combined earnings (eighth all-time on the FIVB list).

Three of the United States top teams missed the Japanese Open due to a domestic event this weekend in Manhattan Beach, Calif. In addition to May and Walsh's bronze medal, the United States also secured a 17th by Danalee Bragado (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and Ali Wood (Hermosa Beach, Calif.). Playing in their second event this season in the Osaka event after starting 2002 campaign with different partners, Bragado and Wood split $2,520. Bragado and Wood were competing in their 37th pro beach event together. The partnership has now earned $95,532 (45th all-time).

Bragado and Wood won the silver medal at the 2001 Greece Challenger with their previous best finish in an international "open" event being fifth at the 2001 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Austria. Bragado finished second in the 1996 Osaka event with Pat Keller after losing the gold medal match to Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst of Australia.

The American tandems of Holly McPeak/Elaine Youngs, Dianne DeNecochea/Barbra Fontana and Carrie Busch/Leanne Schuster skipped the eighth women's FIVB Tour stop this season to participate in an Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Tour event in Manhattan Beach, Calif., this weekend (August 8-11).

Following the next international stop in Maoming, China (August 14-18), the 2002 women's FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour concludes in September with events in Spain (Mallorca, 3-7) and Brazil (Vitoria, 17-22).

For more information on FIVB beach volleyball, go to the FIVB web site.