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The crowd at the Estadio Voleibol de Playa
bundled up in fleecy jackets, woolly hats and scarfs to watch
Karissa Cook and Jace Pardon of the U.S. rally for a 14-21 22-20
15-10 win over defending gold medalists Argentina.
It was a bad day for sunbathers and title holders alike as
Chilean cousins Esteban and Marco Grimalt snatched the men's
gold from 2015 winners Mexico 21-19 22-24 15-10.
Lima offers plenty of thundering surf and wide expanses of sand
but sun has been in short supply during the Peruvian winter that
forced most athletes out of their swimsuits and into full body
spandex.
While the weather may have been dull, the action was hot and
atmosphere electric particularly during the women's final where
Cook and Pardon found themselves down a set and tied 20-20 in
the second before mounting a comeback.
"Argentina came out really strong and I don't think they ever
let up," said Cook. "I think it was just about us staying really
gritty and even though we never felt it was beautiful volleyball
we were playing we just found a way to score."
Together since May, the new partnership has been a hugely
successful one, the pair immediately winning a domestic tour
title and cruising through the Pan Am tournament dropping just a
single set along the way.
But while the Grimalts, who were the top-ranked team in Lima,
immediately turned their focus towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,
Pardon and Cook will have to be satisfied with Pan Am gold.
"For Tokyo the beach volleyball qualifications have already
started so we are not in hunt which is why we're able to come
here," said Cook.
If Lima was not chilly enough, Cook's next destination will be
Argentina to take part in the last stop on the FIVB's Snow
Volleyball World Tour.
"I'm going to the snow tomorrow, flying to Bariloche," laughed
Cook.
Beach volleyball has been played in parking lots, like it was at
the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto, and the Horse Guards Parade in
central London for the 2012 Olympics and now the FIVB, world
volleyball's governing body, is working on its next cool thing
-- a snow volleyball World Tour.
Not everyone, however, is excited about the winter version.
Canadians Aaron Nusbaum and Mike Plantinga, who lost the bronze
medal contest to Argentina, may hail from the Great White North
but insist snow is not for them.
"That's definitely not for us," assured Nusbaum. "It's a growing
sport and it is actually quite fun to watch but I don't think it
is anything I will be looking to do."
(Editing by Toby Davis)
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