Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Win Gold Medal in Beach Volleyball Final

Americans Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh defeated fellow countrywomen Jen Kessy and April Ross in the finals of the beach volleyball tournament at the Horse Guards Parade to win their third consecutive Olympic gold medal.

USA Today's Nicole Auerbach provides the details (via Twitter):

"

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh win their third straight Olympic GOLD medal by beating Jen Kessy & April Ross 21-16, 21-16. #London2012

— Nicole Auerbach (@nicoleauerbach) August 8, 2012"

"The Turtle" and "Six Feet of Sunshine," as they have affectionately been nicknamed, further added to their already illustrious careers by running roughshod on the tournament field.

May-Treanor and Walsh's quest to repeat was never seriously threatened in the 2012 London Games, but the two did drop their first set ever in Olympic competition back in a preliminary-round contest against Stefanie and Doris Schwaiger.

Even the best competition that the London Games could provide was no match for the greatest tandem in the history of the sport.

The Netherlands' Sanne Keizer and Marleen van Iersel fell to the Americans in the Round of 16 in a mere 30-minute match.

Italians Greta Cicolari and Marta Menegatti lasted just three minutes longer in the quarterfinals, with the latter being reduced to tears.

China's best, Chen Xue and Xi Zhang, made a match of it in the semis, but lost 22-20 in both sets.

May-Treanor and Walsh have solidified themselves in the annals of United States Olympic lore with this victory—their last in any Olympic Games.

We won't get to see the two compete side-by-side in the 2016 Rio Games, but they have nothing left to prove. It's quite possible that no team will ever match their eight-year run of dominance from Athens to Beijing to London.

Their title as "The Queens of Beach Volleyball" will forever remain.