The No. 1 ranked team, Larissa and Talita of Brazil, meet Germany’s Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst in the other semifinal.
Advertisement
Walsh Jennings hasn’t committed to Rio being her final Olympics appearance, but when she does officially retire, she knows one thing for sure. The victor of this match advances to the final to play for the gold.
Kerri Walsh Jennings says when she thinks of beach volleyball, it’s always been the US versus Brazil.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Devastated. In fact, she had only lost two sets in her Olympic career before falling in straight sets at the Copacabana venue.
Walsh Jennings struggled with her passing throughout the medal round, including on Tuesday night when the pair lost to Brazil’s second-seeded team.
After hugging their opponents, Walsh Jennings slapped hands with some courtside volunteers and then found a USA cheering section in the corner of the 12,000-seat arena built on the beach that serves as the sport’s spiritual home.
“We had so many chances to take the match into our hands and do what we wanted, but we didn’t do that”, Ross said. “We came here to be our best, and I was subpar”. The defending gold medalist and her beach volleyball partner of three years, April, defeated Australia in a midnight match at Copacabana Beach, which began on Kerri’s 38th birthday – now that’s one way to celebrate! “If you ask everybody, everybody will say ‘Kerri'”.
Biles is now the fourth American to win five medals in one Olympics.
The United States have won six of a possible 12 gold medals in the sport and 10 overall.
Walsh Jennings, who won gold in Athens, Beijing and London with now-retired teammate Misty May-Treanor, also has “amazing partnerships” she hopes to further, including a clothing line with Asics.
Walsh Jennings and Ross said neither of them slept after losing to Brazil’s other team in the semifinal; for Walsh Jennings, it was her first loss in 27 Olympic matches. Walsh Jennings and Ross could never seem to get into a return rhythm all night.
April is a victor in her own right as she previously took home silver in the 2012 London Olympics before syncing up with Kerri.
Advertisement
“I am so proud of my people, the Brazilian people”, Talita said.
