21st august 2008
Beijing (CHN)


Since when I decided to attend to the Women’s Beach Volleyball final, I was wondering how I should have to dress (or undress) to protect myself from the unbearable heat and humidity in Chaoyang Park. This morning as soon as I opened the curtains, I discovered that was heavily raining and the heat wouldn’t be a trouble.
The Beijing’s roads were cars jam-packed and it took almost one hour to arrive to the Beach Volley Ball (BVB) venue.
Luckily, I get there just before the beginning of the final match played by US May-Treanor and Walsh and Chinese Tian Ja-Wang.
In the journalists´ stands I met Karch Kiraly, three gold medals winner (two in VB and one in BVB) now commenting BVB for NBC.
I asked if the rain can badly affect the game. He said that the biggest difficulty is the ball slipperiness due to the rainwater. The players have to be very careful in controlling each touch. During the match, the court assistants accurately keep on drying the balls but obviously, it isn’t enough. All the players in these conditions set the ball with underhand passing because the overhand set is too risky.
Another difference depends on the wet sand, which is more compact making easier jumping and moving. Lastly the rain drops can seriously disturb the players’ eyes when they look up to follow the ball.
In conclusion, the BVB players technically more skilled can take a small advantage playing in a rainy day.

The skillful Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh’s won easily the final with a double 21-18.
I think that they would have won even with any kind of weather because their superiority is so clear.
I don’t dare to analyze tactically nor technically the match because I’m not a BVB specialist, but I enjoyed very much their excellent technical ability and their surprising quickness in the sand.

After the BVB final, I went back to the Capital Gymnasium (the VB venue) when Women’s US team was overwhelming Cuba. In only three sets the North-Americans got the right to play the Olympic final after 24 years (the last final was in 1984 in Los Angeles Olympic Games).
Cuba made one more time the same error relying only on strong serve and attack. When those fundamentals don’t work out they are in trouble, bad trouble. After the great preliminary round and the effortless quarter-final, suddenly the Cuban players stopped to play.


A few hour later the Brazilians reached the finals winning easily in three sets.
Ze Roberto’s players exploited their back row attack, jump serve, quick set to outside position. They are the best so far.

In the press conference after the match, Ze Roberto admitted for the first time since a long time, that his team performed well in serve, attack, block, counterattack and dig. Usually he prefers to point out the weakest point of his team, but today it was really difficult to find any one.


Bye bye andrea