Talita and Rebecca win another Brazilian Tour gold

Talita Antunes and Rebecca Cavalcanti stepped on the podium for the second time in a week on Sunday as the bronze medallists of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Rosarito Elite16 event went on to win the third stop of the Brazilian Tour, in Itapema, the city that will host the next Beach Pro Tour Challenge tournament from April 14-17.

The 39-year-old Talita, a three-time Olympian, and the 28-year-old Rebecca claimed their fourth victory on the Brazilian Tour. It was the second in 2022 after they defeated Andressa Cavalcanti and Vitoria Rodrigues, who were fifth at the Tlaxcala Challenge, in the two-set (21-17, 23-21) gold medal match at the Meia Praia Beach.

“The most important thing in a new partnership is to believe in the work that’s being done,” Talita commented. “This team brought changes to both of us and we’re giving everything we have to make it work. The rewards are coming with two victories on the Brazilian Tour and a bronze medal on the Beach Pro Tour and that just makes us want to work even harder.”

Tlaxcala Challenge gold medallists Barbara Seixas and Carol Salgado finished third with their 2-1 (21-16, 16-21, 15-13) triumph over Elize Maia and Thamela Coradello, who took bronze in that same event in Mexico.

Vitor Felipe and Renato Lima, who were fourth in Tlaxcala, took the men’s title in Itapema. They defeated the top-seeded team in the upcoming Itapema Challenge, the one of Andre Loyola and George Wanderley, in three sets (21/23, 21/17, 15/10). The pair won their first international medal in Itapema, a bronze in the last FIVB World Tour event, last November.

“I always have a blast playing here in Itapema,” Vitor said. “I have great memories from previous tournaments here and it’s always special to return and get a good result.”

Rio 2016 Olympic champion Bruno Schmidt and new partner Saymon Barbosa downed Tokyo Olympians Evandro Goncalves, Bruno’s former partner, and Alvaro Filho, who played with Saymon in the past, 2-0 (23-21, 21-18), to take bronze.

The fourth stop on the 2022 Brazilian Tour will take place in the country’s capital Brasilia from April 27-May 1.