Beach Volleyball is one of the most popular events at the summer Olympics, and part of that reason is because of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh-Jennings.
During the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics, May-Treanor and Walsh-Jennings won three consecutive gold medals for beach volleyball, forever cementing themselves in Olympics history as absolute legends of the game.
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What’s even more impressive is their track record during the Olympics. During the 2004 Athens games, the duo played all seven games without losing a single set -- just completely undefeated and untested.
They kept that streak through the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and then didn’t lose a set until halfway through the 2012 London games. How insane is that?
To make the point even more clear as to why these two are legends, beach volleyball has been in the Olympics since 1996, and May-Treanor and Walsh-Jennings have half of the gold medals handed out in the sport since then.
May-Treanor retired from beach volleyball after the 2012 London games, but that didn’t stop Walsh-Jennings from wanting more. She teamed up with April Ross for the 2016 Rio games, and the pair earned a bronze medal.
So what are these two incredible athletes up to now?
Walsh-Jennings attempted to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo games with different partner, but she failed to do so. While she won’t be in Tokyo this summer, we give her a round of applause for not giving up on beach volleyball. She has a business with her husband, who is also a volleyball player.
The couple’s business is all about growing the sport of beach volleyball, and they do that by offering programs to players who want to take their playing to the next level.
May-Treanor has had more time out of the spotlight, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t been busy. She is still involved in the volleyball world, serving as the director of volleyball operations at her alma mater, Long Beach College, and she is working on the broadcast team for the AVP Beach Volleyball Tour. Perhaps she’ll be calling games at the next Olympics.
There may never be a pair quite as good as May-Treanor and Walsh-Jennings, but their dedication and complete dominance in beach volleyball has undoubtedly inspired an entire generation of volleyball players to soak up the sun on the beach and do their absolute best.
