“Our team has everything that it takes to win the Olympics.” When it comes from someone who has just played a country quota match to get into the qualification bracket of a tournament, it may sound a little far-fetched. But when it comes from the legendary Kerri Walsh Jennings, who has been on the Olympic podium four times, three of them on the very top of it, then one better believe it.
Walsh and her partner Brooke Sweat are currently way above the qualification cut-off for Tokyo 2020, but with so many other American teams breathing down their necks, their spot at the Olympic Games this summer as one of two US representatives is far from guaranteed. Only two major qualifying events on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour to go, the race for Tokyo tickets is so hot that Sweat and Walsh Jennings had to play country quota at the 4-star tournaments in Sochi on Tuesday, ahead of Wednesday’s qualifications.
“I don’t like it. I don’t like anything about it, but we deserve to be here, so it is what it is,” Walsh Jennings told Volleyball World on the way out of the centre court upon winning their game. “We can definitely use more repetitions in competition under stress, because all of that is great preparation on the way to the Olympics. We lost points, and there are good teams in America, so we have to fight for it. In America, you have to fight for it; they don’t give you a free pass just like that. It’s OK; we deserve it. It’s unfortunate, but it’s our fault. And we are going to enjoy it and appreciate the free reps we get.”
Walsh Jennings and Sweat got together in the fall of 2018. Since then, they have earned one gold, two silver and three bronze medals on the World Tour and currently stand 15th in the FIVB World Ranking and sixth in the provisional Olympic ranking.
“Qualifying for the Olympics is never a given. That’s always a challenge,” Walsh Jennings said. “This is a new situation for both Brooke and me. This whole journey has been challenging, with ups and downs, but we plan to finish on a high note. The harder the journey to the Olympics is, the more prepared you are. This has been very challenging for us, so we are going to be very prepared once we do qualify.”
Brooke Sweat in action during the Sochi country quota matchAnd despite all the challenges, both Walsh Jennings and Sweat feel confident that they will qualify for what would be Kerri’s fifth and Brooke’s second Olympic appearance.
“We just have to get our rhythm back, play our game and stay steady throughout. I think we’ve just been really inconsistent this season. We have to change that and play really consistent throughout the tournaments,” the 35-year-old defender said. “I feel very confident that we will qualify for Tokyo, but we still have to work for it. Absolutely! We are not going in here just thinking we’ve already won it. We’re going in here playing steady like we have to win every match to qualify.”
“Our team has everything that it takes to win the Olympics. First, we have to get there,” the 42-year-old blocker added. “This tournament is to get our mojo back, to get our confidence back, to earn Olympic points... We want to finish fifth or higher. We want to get points here in Sochi and we want points in Ostrava, and we can do that.”
Despite her awareness of all the budding beach volleyball talent eager to catch up with and overhaul the proven legends and despite all the success she has already achieved on the sand courts of the world, Kerri Walsh Jennings is still hungry for victories.
“We respect every single team out here; I don’t care the age. Every player on Tour is younger than me, so it’s nothing new,” she said. “There is one younger American team just below us (Kelly Claes and Sarah Sponcil). They are great athletes. They’re great girls. They are doing great... and it’s our job to beat them. We respect them, but we look at everyone as our competition. We don’t care about age or any of that. We just want to win.”
Both Kerri and Brooke pointed to each other when asked what their strongest weapon on the way to Tokyo is.
“I’m excited she is on my side,” Brooke said about Kerri. “I’ve played against her a lot. She knows how to win on the biggest stage, so I am excited to learn from her in those moments.”
Quick links:
FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour - Sochi
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
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