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The Brazilians won the semi-final 22-20 21-18 after midnight
on Wednesday with key saves from Seixas and big blocks by
Bednarczuk too much for April Ross and 38-year-old Walsh
Jennings, who was aiming for a fourth consecutive Olympic gold
medal in the event.
"It still hasn't sunk in what we've done, beating a player who
has never lost at the Olympics," said Bednarczuk, who won the
world championships last year with Seixas.
"Since the start of these Games we've been able to grow in each
match, improving our concentration, our accuracy, and I think
that made the difference."
Californian Walsh Jennings, nicknamed 'Six Feet of Sunshine', is
a three-times world champion who was attempting to emulate long
jumper Carl Lewis and discus thrower Al Oerter as the only
American athletes to have won four consecutive Olympic golds in
the same individual event.
But it was not meant to be as she struggled to control passes
and took responsibility for the defeat, her first in 27 Olympic
matches.
"It was very poor execution on my part, at the most fundamental
part of the game," she said. "I put us in a hole from the start.
We never gave up, but we never got our space."
The packed stands on Copacabana beach roared after every
Brazilian point, the crowd backing the last local shot at gold
after Germany eliminated Brazil's other team, Larissa Franca and
Talita Antunes, in the other semi.
European champions Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst eased home
21-18 21-12 against the Brazilians 21-18 21-12 to become
Germany's first women's team to medal in the event.
With the fans slow to fill the stadium for Tuesday's first
match, the Germans seized on an unusually tranquil atmosphere to
steal the opening set and walk away with the second before the
Brazilian duo could hit their rhythm.
"It was really important winning the first set and we knew we
had to have patience," said Ludwig. "I think I was the most
nervous for this match because we were in the semi and in front
of this crowd."
The final will take place later on Wednesday after the Americans
play Franca and Antunes for bronze.
(Reporting by Brad Haynes; Editing by Jan Harvey/Patrick
Johnston)
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