The gold medal, it turns out, can be a fine consolation prize.

The Williams sisters, like Roger Federer one day before them, became Olympic doubles champions on Sunday afternoon with their 6-2, 6-0 victory over Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain.

After both Serena and Venus were upset in singles matches here by lesser lights, they rallied for their second career Olympic doubles title and their second major doubles championship this summer. The sisters also captured the Wimbledon crown in July.

"It does mean more for me to win it with Serena, to share this kind of moment with your sister," Venus said. "I mean, we are practically joined at the hip."

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In singles finals on Sunday, Rafael Nadal won the championship for Spain with a 6-3, 7-6 (2), 6-3 victory over Fernando Gonzalez of Chile. Nadal now moves on to the U.S. Open with the No. 1 ranking and a gold medal in his pocket. In a battle of Russians, Elena Dementieva defeated Dinara Safina, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, for the gold.

The Williams sisters' march through the draw here - and Federer's victory with Swiss teammate Stanislas Wawrinka - leaves the distinct impression that today's top singles stars could dominate doubles events everywhere on tour if they wished to put in the extra effort. It also doesn't say much for the doubles specialists of the world, who were sent packing at these Summer Games.

The Williamses broke serve in the fourth game of the first set, and reeled off the last eight games of the match to win in a comfortable hour and six minutes. Their power games were simply too much for their less accomplished opponents.

Their greatest challenge came not from Garrigues and Pascual, but from the raucous Spanish fans who sang and danced as the match went along. Serena insisted they were not a distraction, and that she debated whether to join them. The Spanish doubles partners, Serena insisted, were no pushovers.

"Well, it wasn't easy," Serena said. "We were so focused and we wanted every point. We pretty much worked for every point. So it was like playing that way makes it easier."

Venus and Serena had partnered for gold at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, but didn't enter the doubles draw in Athens because of an injury to Serena. The Williamses became only the second women's doubles team to win two career gold medals, matching the accomplishments of countrywomen Gigi Fernandez and Mary Joe Fernandez (who are not related) in 1992 and 1996.

When Federer won on Saturday, he called the victory "a magical moment, something incredible in my career." And on Sunday, Venus and Serena seemed equally overjoyed, hugging each other with genuine joy after Pascual's shot sailed long on match point.

"In the Olympics, a gold is a gold," Venus said. "It doesn't matter what event or discipline. It just matters that you got the gold or a medal. It's amazing actually, because after so many people standing in the draw, there's one or two left who get the ultimate prize."

The sisters said they will now begin preparation for Flushing Meadows, where another singles title returns to top priority.