John Lennon ’s song ‘Imagine’ was used by a DJ to diffuse a beach volleyball row between Canada and Brazil at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday. Brazil clinched gold against their North American opponents, but the final turned sour in the third set, with the two teams locked in a tense and heated argument. The players approached the net and looked livid before a shouting match ensued, with Canada’s Brandie Wilkerson and Brazil’s Ana Patricia pointing fingers.
The Brazilians felt they were being taunted, but the Canadians said they were responding to their families in the crowd, cheering behind the Brazil team. The DJ took action by blasting out Lennon’s 1971 hit ‘Imagine’ – an anthem for peace – as the referee spoke to the players to try and get them to calm down. The song from the former Beatle played out loudly at the Eiffel Tower Stadium and when the players noticed it, they laughed and clapped, as the crowd applauded and sang the hit in what became an iconic moment at Paris 2024.
‘We‘re competitors and we are fighting for the same thing: There’s only one gold medal,’ Canada’s Wilkerson said after she walked away with the silver medal. ‘Immediately after the game, it’s all love and respect. We bring out the best in each other, and I’m honoured to play against this team.
Players at the beach volleyball started arguing so the DJ played Imagine by John Lennon ð #Paris2024 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/QuA8rfcL99 ‘What a beautiful opportu.