SANTIAGO, Chile — Beach volleyball players Marco and Esteban Grimalt are not famous outside of Chile, but at home the cousins are the host nation's faces of the Pan American Games. Television ads, posters in Santiago's subway and Tik Tok videos shared by adoring influencers have the two front and center.
Brazil’s Andre Loyola, left, blocks a shot by Chile’s Marco Grimalt during a men’s beach volleyball semifinal match at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile on Thursday.
The Grimalts failed on Thursday to defend their 2019 Pan American Games gold medal, losing 21-13, 21-17 to Brazil’s André Loyola and George Souto, a setback that upset Chilean fans nationwide. “They are great and they are gorgeous. Can’t you see that?” said Eli, who was wearing an Olympic team shirt and eating a burrito as she waited in line. She will be back to the court on Friday to see the two Pan American Games poster boys fight for bronze.
The Grimalt cousins share an Instagram account with almost 120,000 followers, another rare feature in the sport, even less so for athletes who have never come close to Olympic glory.
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