No let up in Russia-Georgia tensions as volleyball battle in bikinis turns nasty

Hours after their nations had declared an uneasy truce in the disputed border region, Russia and Georgia fought a battle in bikinis in Chaoyang Park.

Symbolic victory: Georgia's Cristine Santanna and Andrezza Martins see off the Russians in Beijing

Sign language: It's nine out of 10 for the Russians (top), but they're tactically outmaneuvered

Georgia triumphed, rallying from the brink of elimination to score a victory which will keep them in the competition, and send the Russians home.

Afterwards the Russians grumpily accused the Georgian players, who were both born and raised in Brazil, of parading under a flag of convenience.

'We were not playing against the Georgian team today,' sniffed one of the Russians, Natalia Uryadova, at a packed press conference afterwards.

'We were playing against the Brazilian team. If they are Georgian they would certainly have been influenced (by world events), but certainly they are not.'

Uryadova's team-mate Alexandra Shiryaeva chipped in: 'Of course they're not Georgian. They don't even know who the Georgian president is.'

The Georgian team are only too willing to concede that their beach volleyball tactics were not exactly hewn on the shores of the Black Sea.

Nice return: Santanna stretches to reach the ball

Floored: Russia's Natalya Uryadova hits the sand

Having missed out on the opportunity to represent their birth nation, Christine Santanna and Andrezza Chagas took up the invitation of the Georgian president's wife, herself a keen beach volleyball player and fan.

'Of course I know who the president is,' retorted Santanna, who competes under the Georgian nickname, Saka. 'It's Mikheil Saakashvili, and I was with his wife here two days ago in the Village.

Before and after: Chagas and Santanna celebrate their victory amid bitterness from the Russians, though the rivals embraced before the clash (below)

'I feel Georgian. I've got a Georgian and a Brazilian passport and we did this for the Georgian people. I really didn't want this situation between the players. I respect them. I don't want this to be a war between us.'

Their tenuous link to the country they represent will not dampen Georgian celebrations after this victory, which was acclaimed wildly by the team's small support team in front of a heavily pro-Georgian crowd.

Two days ago, the small Georgian team voted to withdraw from the Games because of the events in their homeland. They were persuaded to stay by their president, and the next day, Nino Salukvadze won their first medal, a bronze in the 10m air pistol.

'We decided to go back home but the president asked us to stay and compete,' said Levan Akhvlediani, president of the Georgian Beach Volleyball Federation.

'It's hard because nobody can compete here. We had the world number one in judo but we got no medals because it is too psychological. So any small win is a great win.'