Author of “The Devil Wears Pinstripes” and victor of a Sports Emmy. Reported from 17 World Series, 9 Olympics, 6 continents.
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The American team is ranked third in the world, but Walsh Jennings had never lost a match in Olympic history, and entering Tuesday had only lost two sets across four Olympic tournaments. She and May-Treanor won gold again in Beijing in 2008, when they even had a practice session with then-President George Bush.
But the tweet directed at Walsh Jennings, a 38-year-old with three Olympic gold medals and three young children, highlights more than just annoyingly routine commentary about female athletes’ apparel. The Brazilians won in straight sets, taking the first set, 22-20 and the second 21-18. Walsh Jennings ducked under the net, picked the ball out of the night sky, and launched it back to Ross, who was able to safely bump it over.
Among those in the stands: US comedian and “Ghostbusters” star Leslie Jones, who draped an American flag around her shoulders and led her section in cheering. And you can’t do anything without a pass. “We got that opportunity”, Pavan said. Amid her loss in an Olympic game, she never blamed anyone except herself. All of that is why instead of chasing gold, they will play in Wednesday night’s bronze medal match against another Brazilian duo, Larissa and Talita.
The most thrilling point of the match came at 13-12 Brazil, when both teams traded diving shot after diving shot, eventually ending in a Brazil victor down the middle. Instead, with the dynasty over, there is work to do starting a new one.
“They outplayed us pretty much in every way”, Walsh Jennings said. “I think it’s people who don’t really understand our sport who are like, ‘Why are they wearing that it’s degrading?’ And to me, it’s so the opposite of degrading, it’s empowering”, she said.
“Tonight, they rose to the occasion”, Walsh Jennings said. I certainly did not and there is no excuse for it. “It’s just bad execution”. The Americans put in an awesome effort in the first set on August 16, but Ágatha and Bárbara squeaked by at 22-20. “They were just sharper”. “Not out-hustled us, not out-hearted us, not out-teamworked us, but they outplayed us”.
“That’s one of the biggest things I love about the Olympics”. I’ve learned this lesson the hard way, many, many times. Our coaches go over it many, many times.
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“A lot of athletes strive to represent their country in the Olympic Games”. While the user has since removed his comment, this wasn’t before Walsh Jennings spotted it herself and responded. “My husband and I want to have a leadership academy”. I don’t know if I will. What everybody is waiting for is for Jennings to win the bronze. The beach volleyball venue is located directly atop the Copacabana sand.
