RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – With three small children at home – one for each Olympic gold medal – Kerri Walsh Jennings turned into a morning person whether she wanted to or not.
So preparing to play at midnight in the marquee match of the Rio de Janeiro beach volleyball tournament is less of a struggle than it could have been.
“I’ve been trying so long to be a morning person and it’s just so contrary to who I am,” Walsh Jennings said after she and April Ross beat Australia 21-14, 21-13 in a match that began at 12:34 a.m. and took only 35 minutes.
Ross said the players prepared for the late start by taking a nap during the day. They avoided walking around in the hot sun, watching video instead while also finding plenty of time to meditate, do a crossword puzzle and read.
“We knew it was going to be really electric out there and we knew it was going to be a really long day,” Walsh Jennings said. “And it’s under the lights in Copa. So it’s a great atmosphere.”