After the USA women’s loss in the semifinals, Walsh Jennings told the Associated Press, “I know I can [win another gold medal]”.
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With the fans slow to fill the stadium for Tuesday’s first match, the Germans seized on an unusually tranquil atmosphere to steal the opening set and walk away with the second before the Brazilian duo could hit their rhythm. With Brazil failing to meet expectations in the medal count, and the women’s indoor volleyball team and women’s soccer teams eliminated from the Olympics on Tuesday – and Brazil’s other women’s beach team, Larissa and Talita, losing to Germany in an earlier semifinal – these prospects are having an exhilarating impact.
“Since the start of these Games we’ve been able to grow in each match, improving our concentration, our accuracy, and I think that made the difference”. Asked whether she can make it to those Games and try again for her fourth gold, she replied, “I know I can”.
“It was rocky”, Walsh Jennings said of their match. It was then the Americans were down three, and appeared out of it.
Rocha continually found space with her soft shots at the net and she clinched the first set 21-17 with a trademark touch into space near the right boundary line.
Agatha and Barbara were the world champions in 2015, so it would be hard to characterize the Americans’ loss as an “upset”, but when it comes to Walsh Jennings in the Olympics, any loss has to be considered a surprise. “We never got our mojo after that and that is why”. That’s unacceptable and inexcusable.
Ross, her eyes red-rimmed, said, “We had so many opportunities to take the match and do what we wanted”. “As they should”, said Walsh Jennings. You could see the confidence increasing with every block at net, every victor spiked to the sand.
She said they will reset by getting a good night’s sleep, watching some film and just playing ball. Last summer, she competed with Ross in tournaments with an injured shoulder, she played with “one arm”, she has said.
The pair may not be bringing home gold, but the Olympics aren’t over for Walsh Jennings and Ross.
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Now they’ve had to downgrade their goal to a bronze. “We wanted to win the game and it’s disappointing and heartbreaking not to do it tonight”. “We can squash that team and we have in the past”, says Walsh-Jennings. Walsh Jennings dislocated her shoulder twice in the 2015 season and took time off to undergo surgery while Ross continued to play with other partners. I don’t know if I will.
