In the world of sport, perfection does not exist. On the other hand, Canadians Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson came close, funnily and with dignity, by winning the first edition of the Elite16 tournament in Montreal on Sunday.
“I don’t know if it exists or not, but if it does, we’re pretty close,” said Brandie Wilkerson, fulfilled, gold medal around her neck, on the center court of Parc Jean-Drapeau after the medal ceremony.
Minutes earlier, the 31-year-old had blocked her opponents’ latest threat to claim the most important title since her association with Humana-Paredes began last October.
Home favorites outscored Americans Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles in three sets 21-15, 16-21, 15-13.
When the ball dropped like an anchor to hit the sand, the champions flew away. They were jumping for joy and running in all directions with Canadian flags for capes. Heroines for the 2,000 spectators gathered in the enclosure, the Canadians had just written their own story which, ultimately, became that of everyone.
Their three matches leading up to the final had required a final round. The last of the tournament was no exception.
“We wanted to make it fun for fans,” Humana-Paredes joked.
In the first set, the players in red completely screwed up the game plan of their American rivals, ranked 11th in the world. Each time they sent their serve in the direction of Wilkerson, because she is weaker than her partner in defense, the Canadians restarted with a touch and smash sequence ending most of the time with a huge winning shot from Wilkerson.
The Americans came back at the height of the race in the second set, and the third set was hotly contested. There were five consecutive ties, like a crescendo towards the title, until the moment when thanks to a skillful pokey, Humana-Paredes gave his team the lead for good.
All week, we repeated that the world ranking had nothing to do with the talent and performance of the two players. Officially ranked 26th, the Ontarians can truly believe in their chances at the next World Championships in the fall and the Paris Olympics a year from now.
“Yes, absolutely. See you there. We are happy with the work done, but there is certainly room for improvement. A lot of things come into play, but we seem to have good timing,” Wilkerson confirmed.
As the World Tour is held primarily in Europe, it is rare for athletes from Canada to be able to feel at home.
This week, they felt it. Wilkerson, incidentally, was playing for the first time in front of family members since his debut in the professional ranks.
She went to cajole them with “thank you” and “wow” in the corner of the field after the meeting.
More importantly, the players spread joy and good humor throughout the week. They were available, attentive and generous.
The amateurs gave it back to them on Sunday evening.
Between sips of champagne and mouthfuls of gold, the applause and shouts of “olé, olé” never really stopped. Like pleasant background music in a place that we consider at home.
“That’s the most important thing we want to share. It’s the joy of playing volleyball,” Humana-Paredes said in a rant about wanting to do more than win games. “We couldn’t play at this level and put out so much energy if we didn’t have so much love for each other, and I think people felt that. »
In the semi-finals and final, although Wilkerson was more spectacular, Humana-Paredes mounted guard in defense in stunning fashion. Nevertheless, almost as much as the medal in her neck, she is satisfied to have been able to prove to everyone that it is possible to triumph in joy: “We want to put forward this new approach and this new way of competing at the highest level. We have to be proud of who we are. You have to smile. We have to celebrate our good moves and appreciate what we do. People recognize themselves in that. »
They also proved that home advantage was a fact and, above all, a proven factor.
The sand, the ball and the opponents were the same as everywhere else. But the crowd, the motivation and the narrative were very different during this Montreal break.
A chapter opened and no one wanted to put an end to it. The match had been over for two hours, and the fans present around the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit were still wondering if they had witnessed history or if they were part of it.
A week ago, Wilkerson told La Presse that “this tournament could be historic”.
“We keep our promises. We keep our promises! she repeated, clenching her fist when reminded of that statement. When we set goals, we achieve them. »
Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson entered the center court to the sound of Scandinavian applause, a sporting celebration that has become legendary, which consists of clapping by putting your hands above your head and accelerating the pace more and more.
In the center of the field, Anders Mol and Christian Sorum played the role of conductors.
The Norwegians had just triumphed over Americans Miles Partain and Andy Benesh in two sets of 21-17 and 21-15.
The concert concluded with a backflip from the two best players in the world.
“I think we had fun mostly because of the crowd,” Mol said after the competition. The crowd gave us wings. I’m not sure why they like us so much, but we kinda like it! »
The Olympic champions have therefore reached the final of all the tournaments in which they have participated this season. This is their third title. A revenge also from the last tournament, in Gstaad, where the Americans had beaten them.
It was therefore legitimate to wonder what made the difference, this time, to obtain their revenge.
“Anders Mol,” Sorum replied instinctively. He made the difference today. He played so well! He blocked so well, so I think that’s the most important factor. »
Like two friends after a long day at the beach, their Sunday ended at sunset, in sandals, with a hot dog and a beer enjoyed on the catwalk, not far from members of the media. Their hearty snack did not prevent them from having to sign many autographs. So Mol finished his meal with a cabbage mustard in his left hand and a Sharpie pencil in his right.
