George and André secure Gold for Brazil in Men’s Beach Volleyball at Santiago 2023

SANTIAGO, Chile, October 27, 2023 - George and André of Brazil clinched the gold medal by defeating Cubans Noslen Díaz and Jorge Alayo 2-1 (21-12, 19-21, 15-13) in the Men’s Beach Volleyball Tournament at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.

Chile’s Marco Grimalt and Esteban Grimalt won the bronze medal with a 2-1 (21-14, 18-21, 15-12) victory over Hagen Smith and Logan Webber of the USA.

After a slow start, with nerves affecting the young Cuban pair (22 and 21 years old), they gradually gained confidence, thanks to Alayo’s blocking skills, which improved Noslen’s position in defense.  

In the second set, Cuba came out strong, displaying solid defense and strong blocking, while Brazil struggled to overcome the net defense. This pushed the match to the third set, where George once again showcased his impressive defense, and André contributed with defensive plays and strong blocks that limited their opponents’ actions.

Brazil is the most successful team in the history of the Pan American Games, with three gold medals, while Cuba now has one gold and one silver.

Canada’s Jake MacNeil and William Russell secured fifth place with a 2-0 victory over Mexico’s Miguel Sarabia and Juan Virgen, and Argentina’s Nicolás and Tomás Capogrosso won 2-0 against Ecuador’s Dany León and Marcos Tenorio for seventh place.