Injury Keeps Timmons Out of Seal Beach Open

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Steve Timmons will miss the $100,000 Seal Beach Open pro beach volleyball tournament this weekend because of a shoulder injury, tournament officials announced Wednesday.

Timmons, a former Newport Harbor High and Orange Coast College standout, has been bothered by a nagging shoulder injury he suffered while playing in the Italian indoor leagues in the spring and decided to rest.

Timmons, a 6-foot-5 middle blocker, is expected to return in time for the Team Cup tournament in September.

Timmons joined the beach tour in June after eight months in the Italian leagues, where he led Il Messagero to the league championship.

Karch Kiraly of San Clemente, Timmons’ Il Messagero teammate, said Timmons wanted be sure he was at full strength by the start of the Italian indoor season in October. Kiraly and Timmons have signed contracts with Il Messagero worth more than $500,000 a season.

“He hits a ton of balls for our (Italian) team, and he wouldn’t be able to enjoy himself over there if his shoulder was still bothering him,” said Kiraly, who added that Timmons plans to go fishing this weekend instead of playing at Seal Beach.

Timmons’ best finish on the beach this season was second place at the Manhattan Beach Open with Scott Ayakatubby. Ayakatubby will team with Brent Frohoff at Seal Beach.