In a dramatic finale to their Olympic journey, Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson captured silver in women’s beach volleyball at the Paris 2024 Games. The Canadian duo fell to Brazil’s top-ranked pair, Ana Patrícia Silva Ramos and Eduarda “Duda” Santos Lisboa, in a gripping three-set battle that ended 26-24, 12-21, 15-10 in favor of the Brazilians.
The match, held Friday night at the iconic Eiffel Tower Stadium, saw Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson fight valiantly. They saved three Brazilian set points and had opportunities to claim the opening set, but ultimately fell short. Canada bounced back with a commanding second set, only to lose the decisive third set to a resilient Brazilian team.
This silver medal marks a historic achievement for Canada, being the first in women’s beach volleyball at the Olympics and only the second medal overall in the sport. The only other Olympic beach volleyball medal for Canada was a men’s bronze won by John Child and Mark Heese at Atlanta 1996, the sport’s Olympic debut.
Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson, who formed their partnership in October 2022, overcame significant challenges to reach the final. Despite a rocky start, finishing 1-2 in preliminary rounds and having to fight through a lucky loser match, they delivered stunning performances. Highlights included a major upset over the No. 2 ranked U.S. team and a dramatic semifinal win against Switzerland.
“This tournament has been a roller coaster,” said Humana-Paredes after their semifinal victory. “We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished and thrilled to bring a medal home for Canada.”
