April Ross and Alix Klineman worked in tandem to defeat Australia in the gold medal game of beach volleyball. It’s the United States’ first gold in the event since 2012.
The U.S. never faltered, playing a dominant match from the first serve to their final point. Klineman and Ross won in two straight sets.
The team was dominant not just in their final match, but in all elimination games. They did not cede a single set in these critical matchups.
The gold medal is Ross’s third Olympic finish on the winner’s podium. She previously won silver and bronze medals. “For us to get here and do this, with this kind of competition just blows my mind. To get a gold medal finally, feels so amazing,” Ross said of their victory.
“I still don’t know if I really ever expected this to come true. It feels like such a fairytale,” Klineman noted.
