Beach Volleyball > Day by Day Recap

Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser validated their pre-Olympic favorites label with a three-set win over Marcio and Fabio of Brazil to capture a gold medal in their Olympic debut. It came one day after Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh won gold on the women's side.

The driving rain, loud pro-Chinese crowd, or formidable opponents were not enough to keep Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh from becoming the first Olympic beach volleyball team to win back-to-back gold medals, thus extending their record winning streak to 108 matches.

Emanuel Rego and Ricardo Santos of Brazil missed out on a chance to become the first men's team to repeat as Olympic champions when they were taken down by countrymen Marcio Araujo and Fabio Magalhaes, who will meet Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser in the final.

Women's No. 1 seed Tian Jia and Wang Jie dismissed their younger compatriots, Xue Chen and Zhang Xi, in the semfinals to earn a date with reigning world and Olympic champions, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, who defeated another Brazilian team in the semis.

Despite playing some of the best volleyball of their careers, Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal ran into reigning Olympic champions Emanuel Rego and Ricardo Santos of Brazil in the quarterfinals, and didn't make it any further. Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser did enter the final four, though.

Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs were the first U.S. team to be eliminated from the Beijing beach volleyball tournament, as they fell in two sets to China's Xue Chen and Zhang Xi. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, meanwhile, cruised past Brazil's Larissa Franca and Ana Paula Connelly.

With one loss already to their credit, Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser nearly experienced a second, which would have ended their Olympics. Instead, they rallied from a 6-0 third-set deficit to advance to the quarters. Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal also moved on.

Kerri Walsh got a round of 16 win on her 30th birthday with partner Misty May-Treanor. Also advancing to the quarterfinals was the other U.S. women's team of Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs.

Pool play concluded with Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh wrapping up consecutive win No. 104, while Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal defeated Japan's Kentaro Asahi and Katsuhiro Shiratori.

Georgians Cristine Santanna and Andrezza Chagas took down the Russian duo of Alexandra Shiryaeva and Natalia Uryadova while a war between the two nations waged back home. Also, the U.S. teams of Nicole Branagh/Elaine Youngs and Todd Rogers/Phil Dalhausser won their final pool match.

The No. 4 men's seed, Marcio Araujo and Fabio Magalhaes of Brazil, were shocked by Austrians Clemens Doppler and Peter Gartmayer in three games. Both American teams in action -- Misty May-Treanor/Kerri Walsh and Jake Gibb/Sean Rosenthal -- both won their second pool match.

Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs knocked off a strong German team of Stephanie Pohl and Okka Rau to win their second preliminary game and take control of Pool E. Also, Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser rebounded with their first win of the Olympics.

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh of the U.S. successfully began their Olympic title defense by defeating Japan, while compatriots Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal braved a downpour for victory over the Netherlands in their Olympic debut.

The reigning world champions and gold medal favorite on the men's side, Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser were upset in straight sets by Latvia, the No. 23 seed out of 24 men's teams.