Walsh Jennings and partner April Ross defeated Larissa and Talita of Brazil late Wednesday night in the beach volleyball stadium at Copacabana Beach to claim the bronze, less than a day after the American duo lost a heartbreaking match to another Brazilian duo, Agatha and Barbara. Walsh Jennings and Ross will try to salvage a bronze medal in a match against Brazil’s Larissa and Talita beginning at 9pm ET.
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With the 21-18, 21-12 victory, Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst clinched Germany’s first-ever Olympic medal in women’s beach volleyball.
Kerri Walsh Jennings is certainly a legend in beach volleyball.
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She continued to play last summer, serving underhanded – and she continued to dislocate it, getting it popped back in mid-match. They fell behind big at the start of the second set, with Brazil picking up another ace against Walsh Jennings.
“We can squash that team and we have in the past”, says Walsh-Jennings. “They were just sharper, just sharper on the execution”. Ross one silver and one bronze. But last night, the qualifying rounds to go on and play for the gold didn’t exactly go Walsh’s way. She shared with us three of the secrets that helped her get back to Rio for an unlikely fifth Games.
Walsh Jennings, who turned 38 on Monday, has a reputation among her fans and other athletes as a preternaturally upbeat person whose determination is so strong she played in the London games while in the first trimester of her pregnancy.
And that quickly, one of the most decorated volleyball careers – male or female, sand or indoor – took a stunning turn, a turn from another potential title to the consolation of a third-place match.
“I have a attractive family”, she said last week. Walsh Jennings spends a significant amount of time on mental training, including regular meetings with a sports psychologist. “Kerri Walsh Jennings’ height is 6’2” and when she jumps up to smash the ball into the opponent’s court she is a sight to see. Brazil gamely trying to hold on, but the United States pair now lead 11-8. She still has plenty of time before she needs to make up her mind.
“I’m so grateful for every gold medal, and I’m so proud”, she said. Previous year she and Talita Antunes won the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour.
Brazilian men’s team Alison and Bruno also advanced to the gold medal game by beating the Netherlands earlier Tuesday.
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On what seemed to be the rally of the match, Walsh Jennings and Ross both tried to catch Brazil off-guard by hitting over on the first or second touch, but neither attempt was strong or well-positioned enough to score.
