Mind trick helps Germans to beach volleyball gold

RIO DE JANEIRO: Germany’s Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst employed a special mind trick to help deal with the raucous home crowd as they crushed hosts Brazil to win the women’s Olympic beach volleyball final here on Wednesday.

A packed house, loud music and swirling wind on the famed Copacabana beach made for an intimidating atmosphere but the Germans kept their cool to see off Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas 21-18, 21-14.

Afterwards, Ludwig revealed they had practised mind-control techniques and imagined that instead of playing on Brazil’s most famous beach, they were at home in Germany and the deafening support was theirs.

“It was definitely tough. We knew that it was going to be really loud,” she said. “Before (the final) we were talking about it, how it could be a bit distracting.

“We had some tools, some routines in our heads which we worked through with our team before. And then we were just in a tunnel and we could play really well from the beginning to the end.

“We were just in our own court and we were just hearing our own German crowd. Not really, but in our heads.”

“Of course it would be wonderful to get the gold medal, but the silver medal is wonderful (too),” said Bednarczuk.

“It was a long, hard journey to get here so the feeling isn’t sadness, we’re very happy.”

At a packed temporary stadium, complete with dancers and samba band and under a full moon, Walkenhorst was devastating with the spike as Germany bossed the first set.

It only got worse for Brazil in the second set as Germany raced to an 11-5 lead and quickly sealed it on their first match point when Seixas hit a serve straight out.