Olympics-Beach volleyball-America's Ross and Klineman beat Australia for gold

Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Beach Volleyball - Women - Bronze medal match - Latvia (Graudina/Kravcenoka) v Switzerland (Verge-depre A/Heidrich) - Shiokaze Park, Tokyo, Japan - August 6, 2021. Joana Heidrich of Switzerland and Anouk Verge-Depre of Switzerland react after winning bronze medal match against Latvia. REUTERS/John Sibley

TOKYO (Reuters) -April Ross and Alix Klineman won the first Olympic gold medal for the United States in women's beach volleyball since 2012 on Friday, when they beat Australia's Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy at the Tokyo Games, with temperatures on the sand court rising to 45°C (113°F).

With chants of "U-S-A" from 20 team administrative staff members cheering them in an otherwise empty arena, the U.S. duo started off strong and sailed through the match 21-13, 21-15 under the scorching sun, with temperatures off court up to 32°C (90°F) and n the sand court 45°C (113°F).