PARIS (AP) — Brazil won a thrilling three-set final to claim the gold medal in women’s beach volleyball at the Olympic Games in Paris on Friday night, when he finished off the Canadians after a head-to-head confrontation at the net that required the referee – and the Eiffel Tower Stadium DJ – to intervene.

Ana Patrícia and Duda overcame an 11-5 deficit to win the first set 26-24, advancing to 21. Canada won the second set 21-12. Brazil took a 12-7 lead in the tiebreak when Brandie Wilkerson and Ana Patrícia began pointing fingers at each other after a duel at the net.

The second referee, the one at sand level, moved out to separate the two players, but Wilkerson continued to argue and received a yellow card. As the Brazilians moved into position to score the next point, the DJ started playing John Lennon’s “Imagine,” whose lyrics called for unity and peace.

The players laughed, and the Canadians clapped in agreement. The crowd applauded and then began to sing along. (Wilkerson told reporters afterward that it was a misunderstanding: she was responding to her family, who were cheering in the crowd behind the Brazilians, and Ana Patrícia thought Wilkerson was mocking her.)

And when play resumed, Brazil needed just five points to beat Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes, kicking off a beach party the likes of which the sport’s spiritual home hadn’t seen since the 2016 Rio Olympics on Copacabana Beach. In Tokyo, the country was left without a participant at the Summer Olympics for the first time since beach volleyball was added to the program in 1996.

Three years later, Brazil not only returned to the podium, but even climbed to the top step.

The Eiffel Tower’s flashlights flashed in the background as the Brazilians won their first women’s gold medal since Atlanta. (The United States, which had won four of its last five matches, was left out of both the men’s and women’s tournaments in Paris.)

After the medal ceremony, the Canadians and Brazilians – along with the bronze winners from Switzerland – posed for selfies together. Wilkerson and Duda talked and hugged each other; maybe there was even an air kiss.

Wilkerson and Humana-Paredes return to Canada with the country’s first beach volleyball medal since the men won bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Games. The team was coached by Humana Paredes’ Father.

Switzerland defeated Australia in straight sets in the third-place match on Friday night to win the bronze medal.

Nina Brunner and Tanja Huerberli defeated Tokyo silver medalists Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar 21:17, 21:15 in 39 minutes. It was the second consecutive Summer Games at which a Swiss team won the bronze medal, three years after Joana Heidrich and Anouk Vergé-Dépré took third place in Tokyo.

On the men’s side Sweden was scheduled to face Germany for gold on Saturday evening, while Norway and Qatar played for bronze.

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AP Olympiad: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games