Beijing, China, August 17, 2008 - The top two-seeded teams from China and the United States in the women’s Beach Volleyball competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games secured their spots in the “final four” here Sunday morning at the 12,200-seat Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground.

Led by reigning Olympic champions Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh of the United States and top-seeded Tian Jia and Wang jie of China, Sunday’s first two quarter-final winners will be watching during the Chaoyang Park evening session to learn their opposition for Tuesday’s semi-finals as teams from Australia, Brazil, China and United States vie for the final two “final four” spots.

Tian and Wang secured their spot in the semi-finals with a 21-12 and 21-12 victory in 41 minutes over the 18th-seeded Schwaiger sisters (Doris and Stephanie) of Austria.

The second-seeded May-Treanor and Walsh advanced to the Beijing 2008 Olympics semi-finals with a 21-18 and 21-15 win in 41 minutes over third-seeded Ana Paula Connelly and Larissa Franca of Brazil.

May-Treanor and Walsh have now won 67-straight FIVB matches since losing in June 2007 to Tian and Wang in a semi-final match (21-19 and 21-19) in Stavanger, Norway. Since winning a bronze medal at the 2006 season finale in Thailand, the Americans have posted an 80-1 match mark on the international tour with 10 gold medals in 11 events.

During Sunday’s second session, fourth-seeded Xue Chen and Zhang Xi of China confront fifth-seeded Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs of the United States for a semi-final spot opposite of Tian and Wang.

May-Treanor and Walsh will play either sixth-seeded Talita Antunes/Renata Ribeiro of Brazil or 10th-seeded Tamsin Barnett/Natalie Cook of Australia in the semi-finals.