Gstaad, Switzerland, July 14, 2014 – Brazil’s Talita Antunes and USA’s Jacob Gibb and Casey Patterson won the bronze medals at the Gstaad Grand Slam on Sunday.
Talita and Lima needed only two sets to beat Germany’s Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst to win 2-0 (21-14, 21-13) and claim their fourth World Tour medal of the year; The result also makes up for Talita and Lima’ loss to Ludwig and Walkenhorst in the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships.
“I think we played much better than yesterday,” Talita said. “Yesterday the Chinese were so good and we didn‘t play our best.
“It’s especially good to beat this team because we lost to them last week at the World Championships. I think today was a different match because, we just thought about doing our best and forgot about yesterday and the semifinal.”
Full set for Gibb and Patterson
Gibb and Patterson ensured that they completed their set of World Tour medals with a 2-0 (21-18, 21-18) win against world champions Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen.
In only their first season together the pair now have bronze medals to go alongside the golds that they won at the Shanghai Grand Slam and silver from the Corrientes Grand Slam. They also finished second at the World Cup Finals.
“It wasn’t an easy choice, it was a crazy choice, but I’m sure glad I made it,” Gibb said when asked why he chose Patterson as his new partner at the start of the year.
“His best finish was a ninth on the World Tour, but I knew he didn’t have the right partner. I knew what a competitor he was; that is what sold him to me. He wants to win more than anybody.”