Local Olympians win gold in Switzerland
With the Olympic Games in London just over two weeks away, the USA beach volleyball teams are fine tuning their games on the FIVB SWATCH World Tour and enjoying success along the way.
Last weekend at the 1to1 Energy Grand Slam in Gstaad, Switzerland, the American teams of Sean Rosenthal (Hermosa Beach)/Jake Gibb and Kerry Walsh (Manhattan Beach)/Misty May-Treanor captured gold in convincing fashion.
In their second straight tournament, third-seeded Rosenthal and Gibb defeated second-seeded and reigning FIVB SWATCH World Champions Alison Cerutti/Emanuel Rego, defeating the Brazilians 21-17.
Defending 2008 Olympic champions Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers earned the top seed in the tournament but fell to the Italian team of Daniele Lupo/Paolo Nicolai 21-19, 21-18 in the bronze medal match.
Gibb/Rosenthal defeated Dalhausser/Rogers, 21-10, 21-18 in the semifinals.
Gold medal winners in each gender split $43,500 for winning in Gstaad.
On the women’s side, the two-time Olympic gold medalists and sixth-seeded Walsh and May-Treanor had little trouble defeating fifth-seeded Netherlands team of Sanne Keizer and Marleen Van Iersel 21-10, 21-13
The tournament marked the 76th – and most likely final — world tour event for Walsh and May-Treanor, who have 62 final-four finishes. May-Treanor has announced that she will retire after the London Olympic Games.
Competing on the FIVB tour, Walsh and May-Treanor have won 39 gold medals and 59 total medals, including their sixth gold medal at Gstaad. The duo was only pushed to three sets once in their quarterfinal victory over fourth seeded Jennifer Kessy and April Ross, the second team representing the United States in the Olympics.