Kerri Walsh Jennings (left) competes at the Asics World Series of Beach Volleyball in Long Beach, Calif., in July 2013.(Photo: Holly Stein, ASICS World Series of Beach Volleyball) Beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings is the most accomplished athlete in her sport. She won three consecutive Olympic gold medals with former partner Misty May-Treanor and last weekend became the most successful female athlete in FIVB World Tour history, winning her 47th world tour gold medal in China with partner April Ross. With all of that gold won in faraway places, Walsh Jennings finally has a premier showcase on home sand: the ASICS World Series of Beach Volleyball in Long Beach, Calif., from July 22-27. Its such a great opportunity for our sport here in the U.S., Walsh Jennings said. The ability to showcase our athletes and our great sport is priceless … the prestige and enthusiasm behind this event is enormous. The tournament is also an Olympic qualifier and will feature a record purse of more than $1 million, the worlds top 128 players and be a celebration of all things beach, with a music festival and a chance for amateur players to spike alongside the pros. We wanted to look at what was trending in pop culture so this event could be really, really big, said event creator and promoter Leonard Armato, who partnered with NBC on the tournament. Its really, really cool. We have thousands of people playing in four-person and six-person coed teams then we have the best in the world playing. NBC has broadcast every Olympics since beach volleyball joined the Summer Games in 1996. Though its a prime time attraction during the Olympics, the sport has struggled to sustain U.S. interest in between Games. If we can get the point where this event is like the U.S. Open, where causal fans who only watch tennis only once or twice a year and avid fans pay attention, I think we would have success. What the Olympics tells me is that theres a lot of casual fans, said Rob Simmelkjaer, senior vice president of NBC Sports Ventures. NBC is a co-owner of the event, providing coverage on its network of channels. This years prize money has doubled from the inaugural 2013 Long Beach event, the first tournament the FIVB sanctioned in the United States in 10 years. The premier event exceeded our expectations in terms of viewership, onsite atmosphere and attendance. We have a great first year to build on and we expect this event to grow to be the biggest beach volleyball event in the world, Simmelkjaer said. Amid all the concerns about Brazils readiness to host the 2016 Olympics, volleyballs international governing body is one of the few without complaints. Winning gold on Copacabana beach is Walsh Jennings next major focus. I know I have more and better in me, she said. I have nothing to prove yet. I have so much improving to do and so many goals I plan on reaching. I feel blessed to be in the position I am in and want to leave the sport on top, in good hands and flourishing. usatoday/story/sports/olympics/2014/05/01/kerri-walsh-jennings-world-series-of-beach-volleyball/8568277/
Posted on: Fri, 06 Jun 2014 12:16:01 +0000
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