Olympics: Beach Volleyball Legend Puts Retirement Talk On Ice
Muhammad Rameez Published August 18, 2016 | 11:59 AM
RIO DE JANEIRO, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Augst,2016) - Beach volleyball legend Kerri Walsh Jennings said she had "no idea" whether she'd be back for a fifth Olympics after bouncing back from her first ever defeat to win bronze in Rio on Thursday. The 38-year-old won three consecutive Olympic titles with the now retired Misty May-Treanor before suffering a shock loss in the Rio semi-finals with new partner April Ross. Speaking after their 17-21, 21-17, 15-9 third-place play-off win over Brazil's Talita Rocha and Larissa Franca at Copacabana beach, Walsh Jennings deflected talk about retirement. "I've no idea, I don't know.
But I'm very happy tonight," she said, when asked whether fans would see her at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. "You're going to see me with my kids very soon." Walsh Jennings added that she was so stunned by Wednesday's defeat that she barely slept, before finally snapping out of it and being able to focus on the play-off. "Devastated pretty much captures how I felt last night.
We came here to be at our best and I was so sub-par," she said.
"I talked to myself all night long, I didn't sleep and at some point I said, 'You have to stop feeling sorry for yourself. You have no one else to blame.
This is an honour to have one more day to fight for what you want'." The Americans had to scrap to rescue a match which was slipping away from them until they rallied with a determined fightback in the second set. Walsh Jennings came out fired up as she belted a series of spikes, but errors crept in as the Brazilians put the Americans under pressure with their greater variety. Rocha scored point after point 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. Walsh Jennings and Ross collided and both hit the deck as they slipped 8-11 behind in the second set, before they roared back to take it 21-17 and force the decider. And after a tight start, they took control of the final set and clinched it 15-9 when Walsh Jennings blocked Rocha's spike.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Rock-solid Ruud racks up season-leading win in Barcelona
At UN, Iran says it will make Israel 'regret' reprisals
G7 hears calls for 'critical' Ukraine aid
EU seeks to leverage might to confront China, US challenge
5 Customs officials martyred as their vehicle ambushed by terrorists in D I Khan
Pak-New Zealand match called off due to rain
NHA restores traffic on roads affected by recent rains in Balochistan
China to fully support Pakistan's efforts against terrorism: Ambassador Jiang
U.S. envoy calls on Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar
Poland arrests man over suspected plan to kill Zelensky
EU wants to ease youth movement to and from UK
Police foils attempt of supply mainpuri raw material
More Stories From Sports
-
Rock-solid Ruud racks up season-leading win in Barcelona
5 hours ago -
Pak-New Zealand match called off due to rain
5 hours ago -
Former England Test batsman Raman Subba Row dies aged 92
9 hours ago -
Rybakina beats Kudermetova to reach last eight in Stuttgart
9 hours ago -
Arsenal paid for 'big mistake' in Bayern defeat: Arteta
10 hours ago -
Matthews leads West Indies women to convincing victory over Pakistan in series opener
11 hours ago
-
Former number one Momota retires from international badminton at 29
13 hours ago -
Former number one Momota retires from international badminton at 29
11 hours ago -
Former number one Momota retires from international badminton at 29
15 hours ago -
Azam experiences discomfort during Wednesday's training session
11 hours ago -
Azam Khan likely to miss T20I series against Kiwis due to discomfort in right knee
15 hours ago -
Former number one Momota retires from international badminton at 29
15 hours ago