Larissa França
Larissa França ( born April 14, 1982 in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Brazil) is a Brazilian beach volleyball player and World Champion.
Career
2001 started Larissa França her volleyball career with Ana Richa. Her biggest success came in the two 2003 when she won the bronze medal in Santo Domingo at the Pan American Games. In 2004, Larissa started with their new partner Juliana. The two were equally successful in their first joint FIVB tournament at the Brazil Open in Fortaleza, as they survived the Country Quota and the qualifications and in the main box only their countrywomen Adriana Behar and Shelda Bede and the later double Olympic champions Misty May-Treanor/Kerri Walsh had to admit defeat. In the game against the Chinese Tian Jia / Wang Fei França and Felisberta Silva gained the upper hand and so secured the bronze medal. In the same year the two Brazilians managed their first FIVB triumph when they both German Susanne lame and Danja Müsch could beat in the finals in Mallorca. Even more successful was for Larissa and Juliana the following year. In the FIVB tour they made (six wins) in 15 competitions a record for women 's and men's competitions with 14 podium finishes. After this impressive series, the two South Americans won of course the FIVB Tour 2005. They repeated this success in 2006, 2007 and 2009, in the four years they were the FIVB Team of the Year. From 2006 to 2009 Larissa França was voted best setter of the tour. In 2006, she was also the most outstanding player of the series, 2008, she was voted best striker and 2009 for best defensive player.
At the World Championships in Berlin in 2005 and Felisberta França Silva won the silver medal. This success could be repeated in 2009 in Stavanger, in the intervening World Championships in Gstaad in 2007 reached both the bronze medal. In the same year Larissa and Juliana won the gold medal at the Pan American Games. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing Larissa França played with Ana Paula and finished after a quarter-final defeat to the later Olympic champion Kerri Walsh and Misty May- Treanor to fifth place.
2010
In the first FIVB tournament of the year in their home country Larissa / Juliana was in the finals, the Germans Sara Goller and Laura Ludwig defeat, where they were defeated in the quarterfinals. In Shanghai, the two South Americans lost to the current world champions Kessy / Ross in the last game of the women's tournament, in Rome, the Brazilians were thrown from their country women Antunes / Antonelli from the competition in the quarter- finals. In Seoul França and Felisberta Silva were back at the top of the podium for a bronze medal in Moscow with a successful revenge against Talita Antunes and Maria Antonelli were the two -time Vice World Champions confirm this success in Norway, but this time in the finals with their third success at this year's Tour. The next tournament in Gstaad Final opponents were the German Goller / Ludwig as in Brasilia in the first tournament of the year, and also in Switzerland were named the winners of Larissa / Juliana. The fifth success in 2010 succeeded the two South Americans in Klagenfurt, as they could defeat the German Beachduo in the semifinals and then her countrywomen Vivian Cunha and Taiana Lima defeated. In the next tournament at Mazuri Grand Slam in Stare Jablonki sixth victory and the seventh final win followed in the subsequent Kristiansand Open reached Larissa França and Juliana Felisberta Silva 's record of twice Olympic champions Kerri Walsh and Misty May- Treanor of 36 tournament victories overall in the World Tour. Both in Poland and in Norway welcomed the Final opponents Xue and Zhang Xi. The Chinese were in the Åland Open for the third consecutive time in the final against the Brazilians, but subject to the Asians for the first time. After a fifth place in The Hague Larissa and Juliana waived participation in the last two events of the year and ended their season as the FIVB Tour Champion 2010. Moreover, they were honored as Team of the Year and Larissa became the player with the best Angriffsschägen and voted best setter.
2011
In Brasilia Larissa and Juliana were able to repeat their previous success in the finals they defeated May- Treanor and Walsh. With their 37th tournament victory Larissa França and Juliana Felisberta Silva took over the sole leadership in the ranking of the most successful women's teams in the FIVB history before the U.S. women. Also, the Sanya Open opted for the South Americans to Final opponents were Xue and Zhang Xi. In Shanghai, the Brazilians occupied the fifth place after their defeat by Doris and Stefanie Schwaiger. After refraining from participation in Poland França and Felisberta Silva lost in the Grand Slam in Beijing after a second place in their pool equal to their first main round match against the Germans Holt Wick / Semmler and were Seventeenth. During the subsequent highlight of the year, the World Championships in Rome, the Brazilians won their pool with three 2-0 victories. Then they defeated one after the Swiss Grässli / Goricanec, the Brazilians Maria Clara and Caro, Fendrick and Hanson from the United States and in the semifinals Klapalova / Hajeckova from the Czech Republic. The final decision Larissa and Juliana with 21:17, 13:21 and 16:14 against the double world champions and double Olympic champions Walsh / May- Treanor for and received after three podium places at the previous world championships for the first time the gold medal. In the rest of the season, the two South Americans still won the tournament in Gstaad, Stare Jablonki and The Hague, were runners-up in Moscow and occupied the bronze medal in Stavanger and in the Åland Open. After the overall victory was certain after the penultimate event in 2011, the team of the Year renounced participation in the Thailand Open. Larissa was also awarded as the best setter of the year.