Brazil brings the sport, and the party, in beach volleyball

August 9, 2016 at 7:58PM
United States' Kerri Walsh Jennings, right, hits over China's Wang Fan during a women's beach volleyball match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016.
United States' Kerri Walsh Jennings, right, hits over China's Wang Fan during a women's beach volleyball match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016. (Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

RIO DE JANEIRO – If you want to find the heart of the Rio Olympics, or at least the overworked liver, you head to Copacabana Beach for beach volleyball. It is as ideal a match of place and sport as Minnesota and hockey.

The beach volleyball versions of the backyard rinks are the dozens of nets strung along different sections of Copacabana. Turn 360 degrees from any of one of them and you see mountain, city, ocean, promenade and a historic fort.

"I live four squares from here," said Agatha Bednarczuk. "This is my neighborhood."

The beach overflowed Monday, and so did the Beach Volleyball Arena Centre, the home of the Olympic competition. Late in the morning, Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas de Freitas, commonly known as Agatha and Barbara in Brazil, beat Ana Gallay and Georgina Klug of Argentina in pool play.

The crowd, with a vocal minority of Argentines waving flags and screaming, was loud. The Brazilians, accused of rudely jeering opponents earlier in the Games, behaved themselves Monday, at least in terms of sportsmanship.

A guy looking a lot like Willie Nelson kept dancing for the cameras, wearing a Brazil-flag colored bandanna and holding up a drink. Of course, if it had been Willie, his method of relaxation might have been different.

There are cheerleaders. There is loud music. There are lean, powerful athletes diving and leaping. There is action on every point. A sport that seemed like a lark or a departure when it became an official Olympic sport in 1996 has become one of the best shows of every summer Games.

In Brazil, history and local enthusiasm heighten the experience.

"It's my first time and I'm so honored to be playing at home," Barbara said. "And I'm actually from here. It's amazing.

"I played on this beach a lot when I was young. This is my second home — my beach home."

A few hours later, Brazil's Bruno Oscar Schmidt and Alison Cerutti lost to Austria's Clemens Doppler and Alexander Horst. The line was so long and slow many fans missed the beginning of the match.

Oscar Schmidt is the nephew of Oscar Schmidt, the great Brazilian basketball player. Once again, the crowd for his match was quite loud.

"The fans here are unbelievable, and we knew that this game would be really tough for the crowd because there are also a lot of Argentines here," Barbara said. "We could notice there was a competition between the Brazilians and Argentines.

"We always try to entertain them and play to them. We know their energy is very important to us. Brazilians are very emotional so we really like this kind of attention."

That rang true Monday. Agatha and Barbara conducted several lengthy interviews in their native Portuguese before cheerfully agreeing to speak to an English-speaking writer. They left the impression they would have been happy to talk all day.

"I'm trying to follow everything I can," Barbara said. "Usually I watch the Olympics on television. It's good to be on the other side. It's crazy, to have the Games here. I'm so happy and it makes me feel more and more in love with the sport and the Olympic Games."

Brazil is soccer and Pelé, correct? "Normally people say that Brazil is the soccer country, but I think nowadays that is changing," Barbara said. "Indoor volleyball is really big here. It has a history already, with the men and the women's teams. Beach volleyball is the second sport that people love the most.

"Judo is also really strong in Brazil. Sailing, too, normally brings a lot of medals for us. We have five sports here that we are really good at."

None of the others offer this kind of party, or this kind of view.

Jim Souhan's podcast can be heard at MalePatternPodcasts.com. On Twitter: @SouhanStrib. • jsouhan@startribune.com

A fan cheers for Brazil as the play against Austria in a men's beach volleyball match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Aug. 8, 2016. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A fan cheers for Brazil as the play against Austria in a men's beach volleyball match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Aug. 8, 2016. (AP Photo/David Goldman) (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
The United States played Austria during a men's beach volleyball match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio on Monday.
The United States played Austria during a men's beach volleyball match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio on Monday. (Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Qatar's Cherif Younousse Samba tries to block a ball during a men's beach volleyball match against Spain at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Aug. 8, 2016. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
The taped hands of Qatar’s Cherif Younousse Samba show how seriously athletes in beach volleyball —party atmosphere and all — take their craft. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Jim Souhan

Columnist

Jim Souhan is a sports columnist for the Minnesota Star Tribune. He has worked at the paper since 1990, previously covering the Twins and Vikings.

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