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August 10, 2012

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Harry, Beckham enjoy beach outing

WHEN a royal presence was needed at the women's beach volleyball finals on Wednesday, there was only one man for the job: Prince Harry.

The party-loving 27-year-old seemed in his element in the rocking 15,000-seater temporary Olympic venue, with its thumping dance music.

Harry snuck in part-way through the first set of the bronze medal match, where Larissa Franca and Juliana Silva of Brazil beat China's Xue Chen and Zhang Xi of China by two sets to one - 11-21, 21-19, 15-12.

The prince, third in line to the throne, was there in his role as an ambassador for the Great Britain team.

"If I knew that, I would have won the game," Zhang said later.

His appearance got the Brazilian seal of approval.

"I have to give a kiss to him, he is so nice! Today he has brought luck for us!," Juliana said.

Added Larissa: "I didn't know he was here or I would have celebrated more! It's great that he's here and it's good to know that our sport is getting recognized."

Former England football captain David Beckham also joined the party, and was quickly posing for pictures with fans.

The atmosphere was pumping, with people on their feet dancing in the rows to the pounding beats and Mexican waves rolling round the stands. "The more noise the better! This isn't Wimbledon, darlings!" hollered the announcer.

Harry was treated to several vibrant routines by the Horse Guards Parade Dance Crew, featuring 11 women in flowery bikinis, who saluted the stand he was in. Harry's fellow troops, on security duty, got their cameras out to fire off a few photos - but this time of the prince rather than the athletes on the sand.

And there was yet more star power for the all-US gold medal match, where Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings beat Jennifer Kessy and April Ross in straight sets to claim their third consecutive beach volleyball Olympic title.

May-Treanor and Walsh took gold in Athens in 2004 and again in Beijing in 2008. No other beach volleyball team, men or women, has retained an Olympic title, let alone won a third.

At the end of the match, which finished 21-16 21-16, the two women fell to their knees face-to-face in the sand and hugged.





 

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