- Brazil beat Canada in a close final to take gold in women’s beach volleyball
- Both groups of players argued during the decisive set of the exciting match.
- The DJ stepped in to ease tensions by playing a carefully chosen hit song.
This is the poignant moment a DJ steps in to calm a heated argument between Brazilian and Canadian beach volleyball players during their women’s gold medal match at the Paris Olympics, with John Lennon’s “Imagine” prompting a collective sing-along.
During the third set of a back-and-forth match on the Eiffel Tower Stadium sand, Canada’s Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson got into a shouting match with Brazil’s Ana Patricia Silva Ramos.
The three players stood in goal shouting and pointing at each other after a disagreement while Ramos’ teammate Duda Lisboa stepped back.
The referee was forced to step between the two sides and separate them, but the verbal confrontation continued with an excited Wilkerson and Ana Patricia looking into each other’s eyes.
Wilkerson eventually walked off and was shown a yellow card.
The Brazilian and Canadian women’s beach volleyball teams paddled during their gold medal match
Brandie Wilkerson (left) and Ana Patricia Silva Ramos (right) exchanged words online
As the Brazilians returned to their position to serve for the next point, the venue’s DJ began playing “Imagine,” Lennon’s famous song calling for peace and unity.
The message resonated clearly with all four players, with both teams laughing and applauding live on television. The crowd even joined in with a chorus of songs.
Ana Patricia and Duda rallied from an 11-5 deficit to take the first set 26-24, but Canada won the second set 21-12 to take the match to the next round.
Brazil quickly opened a 12-7 lead in the first-to-15 tiebreak and tensions rose when Wilkerson and Ana Patricia exchanged words after a row at the net.
Wilkerson later told reporters that the incident had been a misunderstanding. She had been responding to her family in the crowd, who were sitting and cheering behind the two Brazilian players, but Ana Patricia believed she had been mocked.
“We were really excited, teammates were coming, referees were coming. It was a little chaotic,” Wilkerson said. “But after the game, and even right when they came to shake our hands, still on the court, we hugged each other right away.”
But it was all smiles after the DJ played John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’, a song that calls for peace.
Ana Patricia’s teammate Duda Lisboa couldn’t help but smile after the tune played.
The good spirits between Canada and Brazil continued as they received their medals
Brazil needed just five more points to secure victory after the resumption of play, with the score 15-10. Mutual respect was evident between the four players after the match and they posed for photos on the podium after collecting their medals.
The good humor continued at the postgame news conference, when Wilkerson and Ana Patricia laughed and jokingly raised their fists.
“We’re competitors and we’re fighting for the same thing – there’s only one gold medal,” Wilkerson said. “Immediately after the game, it’s all love and respect.
“We bring out the best in each other and it is an honour for me to play against this team.”
Wilkerson added: “What a wonderful opportunity we have to play the final under the Eiffel Tower against the best in the world. That, in itself, is a victory.”