Germany’s Julius Brink and Jonas Reckermann wrote a new page in the beach volley history textbook by snatching the first men’s Olympic title for Europe. Improving the bronze medal finish of their compatriots Axel Hager and Jorg Ahmann in Sydney 2000, Brink-Reckermann stunned the top-seeded Brazilians Emanuel-Alison in three sets (23-21, 16-21, 16-14).
The gold medal match opposed the last two world champions, respectively Brink-Reckermann from Stavanger 2009 and Emanuel-Alison from Rome 2011. It was only the legend Emanuel Rego with medal games experience as he won the 2004 Athens gold with former partner Ricardo Santos, followed by a bronze finish with the same team-mate in Beijing 2008.
“The first set was pretty close, from the beginning to the end,” Reckermann said. “In the second the Brazilians played great and we had trouble siding out. In the third we went point by point and then at 14-11 we lost three match points and we said “stop, not this time”. It is unbelievable, there was so much pressure.”
Having dropped their momentum in the opening part, Emanuel and Alison hit back from the start of the second set and quickly began to build a lead. Emanuel found his form at the back of the court, while Alison was his usual powerful presence at the net. The Germans saved one match point, but a Brink service error allowed the Brazilians to draw level.
The teams continued to push each other hard from the start of the third set. Germany grabbed the initiative and built up a four-point lead. Emanuel and Alison saved three match points to draw level at 14-14, but the Germans immediately gained another and when Emanuel’s shot dropped wide, it gave Brink and Reckermann the win and the gold medal.
“It is the biggest gold and biggest achievement in the sport,” Reckermann explained. “It’s amazing, fantastic.”
In a replay of the preliminary pool clash the Latvians Martins Plavins and Janis Smedins proved their results in London were no accident as they again prevailed over the Dutchmen Reinder Nummerdor and Richard Schuil. Unlike the earlier first encounter between the two sides, the bronze medal game started better for Nummerdor-Schuil, but in the end it was the Latvians who scored a tie-break win (19-21, 21-19, 15-11).
The first elimination round offered already some spectacular games and sensations before even reaching the medal games later on. The Round 1 matches offered no tie-breaks, but still some stunning results such as the elimination of the defening Olympic champions Dalhausser-Rogers by their Italian dark horses Nicolai-Lupo paved the path to a great European performance in London. It was the first Olympics in history where three out of the last four remaining teams were Europeans. Gibb-Rosenthal and Ricardo-Cunha, two of the hidden favourites, were knocked out by Plavins-Smedins and Brink-Reckermann in the quarterfinals.
Pictures: FIVB
