Canadian beach volleyball stars Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes have made history at the Paris Olympics, becoming the first Canadian women’s duo to reach the gold-medal match. The Toronto-based pair secured their spot with a dramatic 14-21, 22-20, 15-12 semifinal victory over Switzerland’s Tanja Hueberli and Nina Brunner on Thursday.
The Canadians, ranked seventh in the world, displayed resilience by saving a match point in the second set before completing their comeback. “We will not give up,” Wilkerson said. “We have heart and we believe in each other. That’s what matters.”
Their journey to the final wasn’t easy, with a rocky start in pool play nearly derailing their Olympic dreams. However, they rebounded strongly, winning critical matches, including an upset against the U.S. and a close quarterfinal against Spain.
Now, Wilkerson and Humana-Paredes will face Brazil’s top-ranked team, Ana Patricia Silva Ramos and Eduarda Santos Lisboa, in Friday’s gold-medal match at Eiffel Tower Stadium.
Reflecting on their achievement, Humana-Paredes said, “We know the color we want, but we’re already proud to secure a medal for Canada.”
Canada’s previous best Olympic finish in women’s beach volleyball was fifth place at the Tokyo 2021 Games, shared by both Wilkerson and Humana-Paredes with different partners. Now, they have the chance to bring home Canada’s first-ever gold in the sport.