2012 OLYMPICS WOMEN’S BEACH
VOLLEYBALL • Dates: July 28 to Aug. 8 • Stadium: House Guards Parade (capacity 15,000), site of annual ceremonies of Trooping of the Colour. Defending gold medalists: Misty May- Treanor/Kerri Walsh (USA) U.S. entries: Misty May-Treanor/Kerri Walsh, April Ross/Jennifer Kessy
• Bronze Medal match: Aug. 8, 7 p.m. (London time)
• Gold Medal match: Aug. 8, 9 p.m. (London time)
• Teams to watch: Chen Xue/Xi Zhang (China), Juliana Felisberta Silva/ Larissa Franca (Brazil), Maria Antonelli/ Talita Antunes (Brazil), Sara Goller/ Laura Ludwig (Germany). Number of teams: 24
• Format: Pool play, followed by 16- team single elimination bracket
• Quick fact: Both May-Treanor and Walsh will be making
their fourth Olympic appearance, but only their third together. May-Treanor played with Holly McPeak in Sydney in 2000, and Walsh was on the U.S. Women’s Indoor Volleyball Team at the same Olympics.
rupture while practicing “Dancing with the Stars,” and unretired.
They announced their reunion in Janu- ary of 2011 with much fanfare and just a little controversy. Walsh had to explain to 2008 Olympian Nicole Branagh that their newly formed partnership was over as soon as Misty became interested in going after a third Olympic beach gold medal, a decision lauded by most of the volleyball world. Golden Girls III, however, has not yet been the box office megahit as the four- year original that culminated in 2004 or the sequel that closed in 2008.
The reunion has yielded just three victo- ries in 15 international starts, respectable numbers by any standard except the one that May-Treanor and Walsh have created for themselves. More of a concern is that none of those wins have come in 2012 in four starts. The duo finished 5th in an April season opener in Brazil in Walsh’s first tournament since shoulder surgery and then logged back-to-back ninths in Shanghai and Beijing.
They showed life in Moscow on June 6-11 with their first podium appearance in nearly 10 months – the silver. They steamrolled to six straight wins, including nice triumphs over compatriots Jen Kessy-April Ross
“They’re not peaking right now, but right now is not when they’re
supposed to be peaking.” Jen Kessy on Misty & Kerri
DEBUT: Jen Kessy will be making her Olympic debut in London. (Photo: FIVB)
USAVOLLEYBALL.ORG | 39
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80