Nantong, China, June 10, 2018 – Brazil’s Josemari Alves/Liliane Maestrini got their first ever top podium finish at the 2-star event of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Silk Road Nantong Open at the Nantong Adventure Land on Sunday.
The second-seeded Josi/Lili jumped three places higher from their Mersin 3-star fourth place finish by winning the gold at Nantong. They completed their undefeated run with a 2-1 (21-13, 19-21, 15-12) victory over Italy’s Gaia Traballi/Agata Zuccarelli.
Brazil now has 31 podium placements, including 14 gold medals in Dalian 1998, Dalian 1999, Maoming 2001, Shanghai 2005, Shanghai 2008, Shanghai 2009, Sanya 2011, Sanya 2012, Beijing 2012, Shanghai 2013, Xiamen 2014, Xiamen 2017 and Nantong 2018.
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FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour - Nantong
Australia’s Phoebe Bell/Jessyka Ngauamo recovered from their 2-0 (21-14, 21-13) semifinal loss to Brazil’s Josi/Lili, with a bronze medal win against Japan’s Ayumi Kusano/Takemi Nishibori 2-0 (21-17, 21-18).
Bell/Ngauamo gave Australia its 43rd FIVB World Tour women’s medal, including 23 bronze medals. In Australia’s six podium placements at Chinese-hosted World Tour events, five of those are bronze medals. The lone gold came from Mariafe Artacho/Taliqua Clancy, who won at the Qinzhou 3-star last year.