Seixas and Bednarczuk handed Walsh-Jennings, the three-time defending gold medalist, her first Olympic loss on sand (she finished fourth as a member of the US indoor team in Sydney in 2000).
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Agatha and Barbara took the second set to win the match 22-20, 21-18.
The problem, Walsh-Jennings said, was herself. She holds three consecutive beach volleyball gold medals from 2004, 2008 and 2012 with former partner Misty May-Treanor.
The place was rocking under a almost full moon and with waves crashing outside the stadium.
Kerri Walsh Jennings’ journey to a fourth gold medal is over. “Not out-hustled us, not out-hearted us, not out-teamworked us, but they outplayed us”.
“We could have squashed the other team, and we have in the past”.
“I think it will take some time to realize what we did here”, Ludwig said. They played spectacularly, advancing to tonight’s gold medal match against Germany. If I was doing this alone and sacrificing having a family or putting certain life things aside to chase this dream, it would be a different story. There’s no excuse for it. “It was just awful execution”.
The 6-foot-8 Brazilian known as “Mammoth” waved his arms and clapped his hands to encourage the hometown fans cheering their favorites into the gold medal match with a three-set victory over the Netherlands on Tuesday. Walsh-Jennings and teammate April Ross were upset by the Brazilian team of Agatha and Barbara during the semifinals early Wednesday morning in Rio. Though Walsh Jennings may still be good enough to compete in Tokyo, she will be 42 by then, and the chances of younger players supplanting her will be greater. “They were just sharper”. Hopefully, Ross and Walsh-Jennings can refocus and still bring a medal back to the United States.
“They’ll fight tooth and nail”, Ross said. In 2015 the Brazilians won seven global tournaments.
The win comes less than 24 hours after Walsh Jennings lost on the Olympic beach for the first time in 27 matches over four Summer Games. It was then the Americans were down three, and appeared out of it. Previous year she underwent surgery for a torn labrum and capsule that kept her out of play for several months. That’s unacceptable and inexcusable. “We never gave up, but we never got our space”.
Members of the sellout crowd chanted “monster block” and waved their arms in unison while strobe lights flashed each time Brazil’s duo of Agatha and Barbara knocked down the ball. You do not wish to see legends go out on a downer. On top of it she had to play against the top ranked Brazilian team in front of a partisan crowd.
“To not go to the finals of an Olympic Games is absolutely devastating”, she said. She along with partner April Ross will be playing for the bronze medal today.
“It’s a huge deal”, said Ross, who won the silver medal in London.
Now they’ve had to downgrade their goal to a bronze. “We won the right to fight again for Bronze”.
Walsh Jennings turned 38 this week.
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“I have a attractive family”, she said last week. I don’t know if I will.
