Rio Olympics Roundup: Ross, Walsh Jennings fall in semifinals
The U.S. women’s volleyball team of April Ross, a Costa Mesa resident and former Newport Harbor High standout, and Kerri Walsh Jennings, is forced to play for the bronze medal after losing in a semifinal match against Brazil’s Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas.
The Brazilians upended Ross and Walsh Jennings, 22-20, 21-18.
It was Walsh Jennings’ first loss in the Olympics. She had won three straight gold medals, with Misty May-Treanor, also a former Newport Harbor star.
“Kerri does so much for us and I didn’t step up today,” Ross told the Associated Press. “I’m very upset with myself.”
The U.S. duo will play for the bronze against Brazil’s Larissa Franca and Talita Antunes Wednesday at 6 p.m. PDT.
The gold medal match is Wednesday at 8 p.m. PDT. Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas will play against the German team of Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst.
Ross and Walsh Jennings defeated Talique Clancy and Louise Bawden of Australia, 21-14, 21-16, in Sunday’s quarterfinals.
Mikulak nearly medals
Corona del Mar High graduate Sam Mikulak came close to earning a medal on Tuesday, finishing fourth in the horizontal bar individual men’s gymnastics final.
The Newport Coast resident earned a score of 15.400, just behind bronze medalist Nile Wilson of Great Britain, who posted a mark of 15.466.
Mikulak, a four-time national all-around champion who finished seventh in the all-around competition in Rio, was eighth in the floor exercise individual final on Sunday. His score was 14.333.
Women’s water polo in semis
Newport Beach residents Kaleigh Gilchrist, Maggie Steffens and Maddie Musselman continued to shine for the U.S. women’s water polo team that defeated Brazil, 13-3, in Monday’s quarterfinals and will face Hungary in the semifinals on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. PDT.
Glichrist, a Newport Harbor High graduate, had two goals on three shots and added two steals and two blocked shots in the win over Brazil, the fourth in as many games for Team USA.
Steffens, the leading scorer in the tournament for the Americans, had two goals on three shots and contributed one blocked shot.
Musselman had one goal on three shot attempts and chipped in one steal.
The U.S. squad, for which UC Irvine women’s coach Dan Klatt and Corona del Mar alumnus Chris Oeding are assistant coaches, defeated Hungary, 11-6, in group play on Aug. 13.
If victorious Wednesday, Team USA would face either Italy or Russia for the gold medal on Friday at 11:30 a.m. PDT.
Some playing time for Smith
Former UCI All-American middle blocker David Smith made his debut in the Rio Olympics on Monday, helping the United States defeat Mexico, 25-23, 25-11, 25-19, to close out Pool A competition.
Team USA, guided by former UCI Coach John Speraw, for whom former Estancia High standout Matt Fuerbringer is an assistant coach, advanced to the quarterfinals as the third of four teams to move on from the six-team Pool A.
The U.S. squad, which has won three straight after dropping its first two matches in Rio, will face Poland (4-1) in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at 10 a.m. PDT.
If successful, Team USA would face either Italy (4-1) or Iran (2-3) in the semifinals on Friday. The Americans were defeated by Italy, 28-26, 20-25, 25-23, 25-23, by Italy in pool play on Aug. 9.
The 6-foot-7 Smith, a member of the 2007 NCAA championship team from UCI who also represented the United States in the 2012 Olympics in London, came off the bench in the third set to register one kill against Mexico.
Mexico, for which Orange Coast College women’s assistant coach Adrian Delgado is an assistant coach, did not advance from Pool A.
France, for which former UCI All-American Kevin Tillie started every match in the tournament, fell to Brazil, 25-22, 22-25, 25-20, 25-23, to close out Pool A action on Monday. The French squad, coached by Tillie’s father, Laurent Tillie, finished pool play 2-3 and did not advance.
Kevin Tillie, a member of UCI national championship teams in 2012 and 2013 in his only two seasons with the Anteaters, produced seven points with one block and one assist against Mexico.
Hogan begins Wednesday
Maggie Hogan, who trains at the Newport Aquatic Center, begins competition in the women’s 500-meter single kayak event on Wednesday.
Hogan, a Huntington Beach resident, is one of seven entries in preliminary Heat 3, the third of four preliminary heats, on Wednesday at 6:12 a.m. PDT.
Hogan, in a field of 28 athletes, is attempting to become one of 14 to advance to the semifinals, which would also be held Wednesday. The final would be Thursday.
— From staff reports