Xi'an, September 2 (HS). Poland and the United States won gold medals in the men's and women's categories respectively at the Under-19 World Beach Volleyball Championship held in northwest China's Shangluo city on Sunday.
In the men's final between Szymon Pietraszek and Jakub Krzeminski of Poland and Matiss Salkowskis and Karlis Joundszekers of Latvia, the Polish pair saved six set points in the first set before clinching the set 25–23.
In the second set, the score was once tied at 18-18. The Latvian pair managed to save one of the two match points, but Pietraszek came up with a decisive spike to win 21-19.
In the women's competition, U.S. pair Mireya Massey and Lily Davis faced Spain's Sofia Izquiza Corulla and Marta Caro Marquez de Acuña.
The Americans took a 5-point lead midway through the first set, with Massey effectively mixing spikes and dinks against her taller opponents, and the US team won the first set 21–16.
At the start of the second set, the Spanish pair fell behind 1-5, but managed to win back three consecutive points after a timeout. However, the US team maintained control throughout. The match ended with Marta Caro serving into the net, allowing the US pair to win 21-16 and claim the title.