Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 10, 2016 - Norisbeth Agudo and Olaya Pazo won a “championship” of sorts here Wednesday evening as the Venezuelans defeated Natalia Alfaro and Karen Charles of Costa Rica in two sets at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
“What championship” you ask. It was a match between two teams that earned their berths for the Rio “Summer” Games by winning their confederation’s Continental Cup competition at the end of June. Agudo and Pazo helped Venezuela win the South American Continental Cup title while Alfaro and Charles were part of their country’s NORCECA winning effort.
For the record, Agudo and Pazo scored a 2-0 (21-16, 21-19) win in 30 minutes over Alfaro and Charles for their first win on Copacabana to earn the Venezuelans an opportunity to play in the elimination rounds. With the setback, the Costa Ricans are eliminated from the Rio Games as Alfaro and Charles were their country’s first-ever participants in the Olympic Beach Volleyball competition.