Lausanne, Switzerland, December 17, 2016 - Brazil’s George Wanderley/Arthur Lanci claimed their second FIVB age-group gold at the FIVB Beach Volleyball U21 World Championships in Lucerne, Switzerland in May.
Wanderley, 19 and Lanci, 20 defeated Mexico’s Josue Gaxiola and Jose Rubio in straight sets, 2-0 (21-17, 22-20).
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Latest VideosFacebookTwitterInstagramMedia GuidesIt was a tight match against Gaxiola/Rubio, who were the first Mexican team to win a FIVB age-group medal. Strong blocking Rubio was voted most valuable player of the tournament and he ruled at the net.
But the Brazilians found their way around the big block with well-placed shots to win the first set easily. In the second set Mexico took a two-point lead and seemed to have a chance to enforce a tiebreak, but in the end the Brazilians levelled to claim the gold at their second match point.
The Brazilian pair had not played together since they won the gold medal at the FIVB U19 World Championships in Porto, Portugal in 2014. All together Brazil has won five gold medals and 10 total medals since the men’s FIVB U21’s started in 2001.
Venezuela wins bronze againVenezuela’s Rolando Hernandez/Jose Gomez put their disappointment aside over letting Brazil escape in the semifinal and defeated Norway’s Anders Berntsen Mol and Mathias Berntsen, 21-15, 21-16 to win the bronze medal.
In 2014 the Venezuela pair also won bronze at the U19 in Porto after they lost the semifinal to Brazil’s George/Arthur. Their goal in Lucerne was gold.