Beach volleyball: gold and bronze for Cuba’s duos (m) in Varadero.
Cuba’s duos A and B Lazaro Portes-Daniel Martinez and Noslen Diaz-Jorge Luis Alayo won the gold and bronze medals, in that order, today at the closing of the second phase of the Norceca Beach Volleyball Circuit 2023, staged at the Barcelo Arenas Blancas hotel.
According to the North, Central America and Caribbean (Norceca) website www.norceca.net, the Portes-Martinez duo defeated USA Campo-Turker 2-1 (21-18, 19-21 and 15-10) in the final, while Diaz-Alayo defeated Mexico’s Barajas-Cruz 2-0 (21-16 and 21-18) for the bronze medal.
Portes and Martinez, who accumulated 320 points for the Norceca ranking, advanced to the title discussion by beating teammates Diaz and Alayo (256 points) 2-0 (21-14, 21-18) in the semifinals.
The women’s pairs were not as fortunate, as they finished sixth and eighth, with Yenifer Rivera-Amanda (192 points) and Nahomi Charlot-Maíkelín Drik (168 points), respectively, in the battle for fifth and seventh places.
Rivera and Amanda were edged out in the fifth spot 0-2 (6-21, 14-21) by Puerto Rico’s Navas-Gonzalez, while in the seventh Charlot and Drig lost 1-2 (12-21, 21-15, 9-15) to Dominican Republic’s Ramirez-Payano.
In the quarter-final of the semi-final losers, Rivera and Amanda won 2-1 (14-21, 23-21 and 15-5) against Dominican Republic’s Ramirez and Payano, while Charlot and Drik lost 0-2 (11-21 and 15-21) against Puerto Rico’s Navas and Gonzalez.
The gold medal went to the United States duo Lindstrom-Van Gunst, with a 2-0 (21-16 and 21-19) victory over Mexico’s Torres-Gutierrez, while the bronze medal went to the USA’s Urango-Skjodt, with a 2-0 (21-18 and 21-19) success against Canada’s Sorra-Monkhouse.
The Norceca circuit is scoring for the North, Central American and Caribbean Confederation ranking, with the aim of qualifying for the Pan American Games in Santiago 2023.