Rio Olympics 2016: Brazil’s hopes of beach volleyball gold dashed as Germany’s Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst claim victory
Local favourites and world champions Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas were comfortably beaten on the Copacabana beach
BRAZIL'S samba beauties lost the final of the beach volleyball - beaten by the frauleins from Germany.
Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst crushed Brazil's gold-medal hopes with an emphatic victory in the Olympic women's beach volleyball final on Wednesday, silencing a raucous crowd at Rio's famed Copacabana beach.
World champions Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas had sent home hopes rocketing when they ousted American legend Kerri Walsh Jennings in the semis, but they couldn't cope with the Germans who won 21-18, 21-14.
The result torpedoed Brazilian hopes of a fourth gold medal at their home Olympics, and ended a tough night for the hosts after they also lost the bronze-medal play-off to Walsh Jennings and April Ross.
At a packed temporary stadium, complete with dancers, samba band and swirling wind, German destroyer Walkenhorst was devastating with the spike as the visitors took control of the first set.
Walkenhorst smashed yet another into the sand to set up four set points, with Ludwig deftly converting on the first attempt as the Germans took it 21-18 for a one-set lead.