Why Losing Makes Kerri Walsh Jennings an Even Better Olympian

Kerri Walsh Jennings won’t leave the Rio Olympics with a fourth straight gold medal, but she’ll go out a victor.

Americans Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross must overcome their disappointment at not being in the gold medal match to battle top-seeded Brazilian women Talita and Larissa for the bronze medal in beach volleyball on Wednesday.

Brazil beat the US team by winning two straight sets 22-20 and 21-18.

Kerri Walsh-Jennings and April Ross had only lost one set in their first five matches heading into the semis against Brazil.

The victory marked Walsh Jennings’ fourth Olympic medal, making her the oldest female medal victor in beach volleyball history and the fifth beach volleyball player to win medals with two different partners. I don’t even know how many aces [Brazil] got-four per game, maybe, on me? I certainly did not and there is no excuse for it. Obviously, Kerri didn’t come back to the Olympics for anything other than a gold, but the Americans still have a chance to salvage a spot on the medal podium with a victory on Wednesday night.

Spanovic, bronze medalist at the last two world championships, won the Olympic bronze with a Serbian national record of 7.08.

Walsh Jennings, who turned 38 on Monday, hopes to avoid placing fourth like she did in 2000, when she played on the U.S. Olympic indoor volleyball team.

“It was really important winning the first set and we knew we had to have patience”, said Ludwig.

Walsh Jennings was not herself from the beginning.

The last time she and Ross played for an Olympic medal they were on opposite sides of the net.

It would make the Games for Brazil if the men were to win Saturday in the national obsession. That’s unacceptable and inexcusable. But if there controversy in this, Ross put it to rest by saying that all they heard was a “highly energized crowd” that they loved playing in front of. I’ve been served aggressively this whole tournament, when people serve at me, and so has April. We’ve handled it in every other situation so it is really disappointing and heartbreaking to not do that tonight.

“You can’t do anything without a pass”.

Kerri lost her first match ever in Olympic play when Agatha and Barbara completely dominated their sets. I wasn’t passing the ball. We’ve got all your details how to watch August 17 via Live Stream.

The packed venue was probably split around 85-15 in Brazil’s favor, with the rest of the fans waving red, white, and blue and trying to will Walsh-Jennings to a fourth straight gold. I don’t know if I will.