Chileans Grimalt are covered in gold at BVB Pan American

LIMA, Peru, July 30, 2019 - A tactical battle, for moments of strength and especially with a lot of courage, was won by Chile’s Marco and Esteban Grimalt 2-1 (21-19, 22-24, 15-10) over Mexico’s Juan Virgen and Lombardo Ontiveros, in the men's beach volleyball final of the XVIII Pan American Games Lima 2019.

The Grimalt cousins confirmed their good moment in beach volleyball by claiming the golden medal in a great duel with the Mexican Virgin/Ontiveros, who battled, traced, but fell before the almost perfect game of the Chileans.

From the beginning of the match, the tension was felt in the arena, neither team allowed the other team to take much advantage. Blocks of Marco and Virgin, defenses of Ontiveros and Esteban... powerful shots, the game was full of intensity and in a sigh Chile won the first set with two hits in serve and a block.

For the second, Mexico was behind 17-20, but Virgen took out her best weapon, the blockade, and Marco could not face the Mexican, who with three blocks in a row, plus an attack, managed to put the marker in his favor.

The intensity dropped in the third, thanks to the service of Esteban that complicated the Mexicans, who could not finish the plays and took advantage of the Grimalt to put distance and be crowned Pan American champions.

Marco: “This is the result of a long process. We are in our best season, they are almost 10 years in this and we are seeing the fruits.

With respect to the game, I think we would have won in two sets, but we were wrong in some decisions, Virgin blocked us very well in the closing, we were winning by 3 points, but this is it, you are wrong and you pay”.

Esteban: “In a couple of hours we left the airport because we traveled to a date of the World Circuit. It is a pride to win this medal, it is for the whole family, for Chileans, we are proud to be of the Chile theme. Mexico played a good game, they took away the second set, but we managed to keep calm and do what we know, we managed the game well at the close”.

Juan Virgen: “It was a difficult game, you had to give everything in the arena, fight; who made fewer mistakes would go ahead, we thought we would take advantage of the circumstances of the second set, but they (Chile) have been playing well, we must recognize him, his effort and his work, they made an excellent game and deserved the victory. Unfortunately we could not repeat the gold medal, but I think we should be proud. ”

Results

Gold Medal: CHI def MEX 2-1 (21-19, 22-24, 15-10). Bronze Medal: ARG def CAN 2-0 (21-17, 21-18). Lugar 5-6: CUB def URU 2-0 (21-17, 21-16). Lugar 7-8: BRA def  VEN 2-0 (21-17, 21-11).

Final position

1.- CHI, 2.- MEX, 3.- ARG, 4.- CAN, 5.- CUB, 6.- URU, 7.- BRA, 8.- VEN, 9.- GUA, 10.- USA, 11.- DOM, 12.- ESA, 13.- NCA, 14.-CRC, 15.- TTO, 16.- PER.