Vancouver Sun

Canadians going for gold

HALIFAX — Despite opening with two losses, top-seeded Torontonians Victoria Altomare and Melissa Humana-Paredes are headed to the women’s gold medal match at the FIVB world under-21 beach volleyball championships.

The duo first eliminated fifth seeds Victoria Bieneck and Cinja Tillman of Germany 21-19, 14-21, 15-12 in the quarter-finals before downing 13th seeds Daria Paszek and Renata Bekier of Poland 21-19, 15-21, 15-12 in the semifinals.

They will meet eighth seeds Nina Betschart and Joana Heidrich of Switzerland in the gold-medal match Sunday.

On the men’s side, top seeds Garrett May and Dany Demyanenko of Toronto will take on second seeds Vitor Felipe and Marcus Carvalhaes of Brazil in the bronze-medal match.

The Canadian pair eliminated fourth seeds Ruslan Bykanov and Andrey Bolgov of Russia 21-19, 21-19 in the quarter-finals but was upset by ninth seeds Piotr Kantor and Bartosz Losiak of Poland 21-17, 21-16 in the semis.

The Polish pair also eliminated sixth seeds Fiodar Kazhamiaka of Waterloo, Ont., and William Sidgwick of Toronto in the quarter-finals 21-16, 21-12.