There is a dispute between the teams from Brazil and Canada in the beach volleyball final. At first the referee tries to mediate.
Things get heated in the hot phase of the match to decide between gold and silver. The Brazilians Ana Patricia Silva Ramos and Eduarda Santos Lisboa are leading 11:8 in the decisive third set against the Canadians Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson. The atmosphere is tense and both teams are engaged in a heated argument at the net. The referee has to intervene and separate the players.
But the mood on the sand remains bad. Before the game continues with a serve, the stadium DJ steps in. He plays the song “Imagine” by John Lennon – one of the hymns for peace and understanding. This song changes the mood, much to the delight of the audience and the players, who cannot help but laugh. The whole stadium joins in with the chorus and the argument on the sand is resolved.
Misunderstanding probably causes dispute
The argument was probably triggered by a misunderstanding. Wilkerson reported that she reacted to her family, who were sitting behind the Brazilians. However, they thought their opponent was mocking them. “But after the game everything was fine, we hugged each other straight away,” said Wilkerson. The Brazilians then took the set 15:10 and thus won the final and the Olympic gold medal.
