ATHENS, Greece, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- Americans Misty May and Kerri Walsh lived up to their role of favorites Tuesday by winning the women's Olympic beach volleyball gold medal.
They produced a decisive victory over Brazilians Adriana Behar and Shelda Bede, 21-17, 21-11.
Earlier in the evening, Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs became the first U.S. women to medal in the sport by beating Australians Natalie Cook and Nicole Sanderson in the bronze medal match.
The American women had been shut out in the two Olympics since beach volleyball debuted at the Games. The men, however, failed to medal in an Olympics for the first time.
McPeak and Youngs scored a 21-18 win in the first set, but the Australians battled back despite Cook being in obvious pain with a right shoulder injury.
Cook, who was playing with a bandage on the shoulder, aggravated it by hustling for a dig at the end of a long rally the Americans won to pull within 16-14 in the second set.
After an extended injury timeout, the Aussies won five of the next six points to even the match.
The Americans took the final set, 15-9.
