ROME — Toronto beach volleyball players Brandie Wilkerson and Sophie Bukovec have advanced to the women's world championship final in Rome.
The Canadian duo downed Germany's Svenja Mueller and Cinja Tillman in three games (21-15, 15-21, 15-12) in Saturday's semifinal to advance.
Wilkerson and Bukovec face Brazilians Duda Lisboa and Ana Patricia Ramos for gold Sunday.
“It’s a dream,” Bukovec said following their semifinal win Saturday. “I am so grateful and honoured to be here… and to be playing on this stage and in a final is incredible and to be playing with Brandie, I have no words.”
Wilkerson, 29, and Bukovec, 26, teamed up before this season.
Wilkerson, who is considered one of the best blockers in the world, and Heather Bansley placed fifth in last summer's Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The beach volleyball world championship is held every two years, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the last championship was in 2019.
Canadian women will play in a second straight final. Toronto's Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan of Kitchener, Ont., took the world title in 2019.
They were eliminated by Lisboa and Ramos in the quarterfinals of this year's championship.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2022
The Canadian Press
