Janis Smedins and Martins Plavins were talking to reporters in the mix zone after winning the men's beach volleyball bronze medal on Thursday night when the secretary general of the Latvian delegation handed Smedins a phone.

It was Andris Berzins, the president of Latvia. He was calling to congratulate the pair on the nation's first medal of the London Games. Smedins spoke for a few minutes before handing the phone to Plavins.

"He said he's so happy," Smedins said. "He wished us all the best in the future."

It's the first beach volleyball medal ever for Latvia.

— Jimmy Golen — Twitter http://twitter.com/jgolen

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