Minello/Pires take women's Goodwill Games gold, Fontana/Youngs bronze

Fourth-seeded Tatiana Minello and Sandra Pires snapped a pair of streaks on Tuesday (September 4) by defeating two-time FIVB Beach Volleyball World Champions, Adriana Behar and Shelda Bede, in an All-Brazilian finale at the 2001 Goodwill Games. The match was played before a sellout crowd at the South Bank Piazza in Brisbane, Australia.

With their 20-18, 23-21 win in 47 minutes over their Brazilian rivals, Pires and Minello snapped a seven-match losing streak against Behar and Bede.

The gold medal victory also broke a 28-match winning streak for Behar and Bede, who had not lost since dropping a title match in France July 22 to the United States' Barbra Fontana and Elaine Youngs.

Behar and Bede were the defending Goodwill Games Gold Medallists after winning the 1998 crown in New York's Central Park by defeating Pauline Manser and Pottharst in the finals. The Brazilians followed their New York Goodwill Games title with gold medals at both the 1999 and 2001 World Championships. Behar and Bede earned the silver medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games after losing the final to Natalie Cook and Pottharst.

Tuesday's title match marked the 17th-time Brazil had two teams in an international gold medal match. Minello and Pires shared the US $30,000 first-place prize while Behar and Bede split US $24,000 for the silver medal.

Overall, Brazil has now captured 49 FIVB gold medals in the 81 FIVB events with 39 second-place finishes.

Minello and Pires, who upset top-seeded Cook and Pottharst 21-17, 21-18 in a 41-minute semifinal match Monday, are competing together for the first-time this season. Pires won Olympic medals at the 1996 Atlanta (gold with Jackie Silva) and Sydney 2000 (bronze with Adriana Samuel).

The two Brazilian teams have now played three times this season for gold medals this season, including the finals at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Austria and in the title match in China last month. Behar and Bede had won a record 26 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour gold medals.

In the bronze medal match, third-seeded Barbra Fontana and Elaine Youngs of the United States captured the US $19,500 third-place prize by defeating top-seeded Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst of Australia 21-12 and 25-23 in 46 minutes.

With the win, Fontana earned her second Goodwill bronze medal after placing third with Lori Forsythe in the 1994 Russia Games. The Aussies, the Sydney 2000 Olympic Gold Medallists, split $15,500 for fourth. Both teams had won FIVB gold medals this season by defeating Behar and Bede in finals. Cook and Pottharst won the 2001 season opener at Macau in April. Fontana and Youngs won titles in Italy (June) and France (July).

Fifth-seeded Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak of the United States outlasted the seventh-seeded Zi Xiong and Rong Chi of China 28-26, 23-21 in 49 minutes Tuesday afternoon. With the win, Arce and McPeak placed fifth in the competition to split US $12,500 for winning three of four Goodwill Games matches. Arce and McPeak were competing in their second Goodwill Games after securing the bronze medal in 1998 at New York. The Chinese team placed sixth to share US $9,500.

Eighth-seeded Daniela Gattelli and Lucilla Perrotta of Italy placed seventh to share the US $8,000 prize. The Italians outlasted sixth-seeded Daxilia Larrea Peraza and Tamara Fernandez Grosset of Cuba 21-13, 15-21 and 15-11 in 50 minutes. The Cubans split US $7,000 for finishing eighth.