FIVB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS MAZURY - Stare Jablonki (POL) - FIVB Chinese Heroes dreams come true

Top seeds Chen Xue and Zhang Xi from China lived up to their billing as pre-tournament favourites with an outstanding 18-21, 21-17, 21-19 victory against the tournament’s surprise package Britta Buthe and Karla Borger of Germany in the women’s final of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships Mazury 2013 on Saturday.

Chen Xue and Zhang Xi the Chinese Heroes of the day (Photo: Karim Levy)

An inspired crowd of 8,500 roared on and applauded both pairs and their amazing play in a final which saw the lead change hands throughout before a riveting tie breaker finally fell the way of the 2008 Olympic and 2011 World Championship bronze medallists, who became the first ever Chinese pair to win a world title.

The awarding ceremony reflected the great diversity seen throughout the tournament. With Paraguay, Thailand and Vanuatu making their debuts in at the FIVB World Championships, the flags raised in time with the anthems came from three different continents with Brazil having claimed the bronze medal through Lili and Seixas’ win over USA’s April Ross and Whitney Pavlik earlier in the day.

 

Chen Xue and Zhang Xi complete fight back to win world titleChen Xue and Zhang Xi needed six match points, but lived up to their status as first seeds by lifting their first major title when they beat Britta Buthe and Karla Borger in the women’s gold medal match at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships Mazury 2013. The Chinese pair beat the German duo 18-21, 21-17, 21-19 to add the gold medals to the bronzes they won at Rome 2011 and the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and become the first Asian side to be crowned world champions. More

Dreams come true for China“This is my dream come true”, China’s Chen Xue said after winning the first world title for China with Zhang Xi. “This is a very important win for us”, she said. “And the audience gave us a lot of power.” The Chinese had a slow start this week at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships Mazury 2013. The 2011 bronze medallists lost one of their pool matches but ended up with the gold medal after all. More
Borger and Buthe inspired by bestKarla Borger and Britta Buthe were disappointed to miss out on winning the women’s gold at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships on Saturday, but felt pride in becoming the first European women’s team to win a World Championships medal. The Germans were unable to capitalise on a match point at 14-13 in the tie-break against Chen Xue and Zhang Xi before the Chinese let slip five of their own and then won with the sixth for a 2-1 (18-21, 21-17, 21-19) victory in one hour, one minute