Brazil retained their Olympic volleyball title courtesy of a simply brilliant final performance against the United States at Earls Court tonight.

In a repeat of the 2008 Beijing showpiece, the South Americans once again got the better of their arch-rivals, seeing them off by the very score that was good enough four years ago.

As a result, America’s wait for volleyball gold goes on - this was their 10th failed attempt - and they have only got themselves to blame.

The United States started the final as the in-form team, with front-row pairing Foluke Akinradewo and Destinee Hooker virtually unplayable in their games so far, one of which was a 3-1 rout of Brazil in the group stages.

And they began tonight in that manner, threatening to embarrass Brazil as they stormed to the opening set in just 21 minutes.

Somehow, though, Brazil used the end-of-set break to completely transform themselves, returning to the court to produce the most devastating spell of volleyball any side has produced throughout the 37 games that had preceded this one in London.

Their attack became virtually untrackable owing to its speed, and with Hooker shut down and restricted to a tournament-low 14 points, they stormed to victory, proving coach Roberto Guimaraes was not wrong when he said he had learned the lessons of the round-robin defeat.