Brazil kicked sand in the faces of Japan's Yukiko Takahashi and Mika Saiki on Monday, taking just 53 minutes to win their third-place playoff and claim the bronze medal in the Sydney Olympic women's beach volleyball.
The Brazilian pair of Sandra Pires and Adriana Samuel ran out comfortable 12-4, 12-6 winners and spoiled a special day for Saiki, who was hoping to celebrate her 29th birthday with an Olympic medal.
Pires, the most decorated player on the women's FIVB world tour, put pressure on the Japanese duo with her aggressive serving, while Samuel connected on 19 of 32 attack attempts in a one-sided match.
Saiki brought Japanese fans to their feet with a superb diving block for a side-out on Brazil's first match point, but Pires brought an end to the proceedings with a spike four plays later that clinched the match for Brazil.