London 2012 Beach Volleyball Women: May-Treanor & Walsh Will Continue Dominance
Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh-Jennings will capture their third straight Olympic gold medals because of two factors: chemistry and experience.
No team has more of either vital quality. Their opponents in the final, fellow Americans Jenn Kessy and April Ross, aren't newbies that just started playing together yesterday. But they don't have the bond and Olympic pedigree that Misty and Kerri have.
May-Treanor, the woman affectionately known as the Turtle, has been teaming with Six-Feet of Sunshine since 2001, and through the last 11 years they have secured their place as the greatest beach volleyball team in history.
Nothing can change that—not even a loss to Kessy and Ross in the final.
Misty and Kerri have a chemistry in the sand that is truly amazing.
As Misty goes to the sand for her signature digs, Kerri is rarely out of position to set up for the ideal angle for a swing.
The little things like taking a few extra milliseconds on a bump to allow your teammate to get in position for a play on the ball; Misty and Kerri know all the tricks. Because they know this will be their last Olympic competition together, this duo is on a mission.
Misty is ready to call it a career so she can concentrate on starting a family, per the Washington Post. That is something Kerri has already done since their last Olympic triumph in Beijing 2008.
While Misty had to recover from a torn Achilles' tendon from an appearance on Dancing With the Stars (per MSNBC), she also had to deal with the loss of her mother.
The team has seen its share of triumphs, but they also fought through the valleys as well. They've been through too much to be turned away.
Kessy and Ross are a great team, and they will probably be the best team on the FIVB circuit moving forward. But this is Misty and Kerri's time, and they will capture the gold.
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