- Title: 'Shocked that we were able to do it,' say beach volleyball gold medalists
- Date: 9th August 2021
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 9, 2021) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL-WINNING BEACH VOLLEYBALL DUO, APRIL ROSS AND ALIX KLINEMAN, POSING FOR PICTURES WITH THEIR TOKYO OLYMPICS GOLD MEDALS AT EMPIRE STATE BUILDING'S 86TH FLOOR OBSERVATORY (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL-WINNING BEACH VOLLEYBALL DUO MEMBER, APRIL ROSS, SAYING: "I think we were a little in shock, you know, we worked so hard, and for so long to get it and, like, we won pretty handily, but it was still extremely tough, and we were just shocked that we were able to do it, I think." VARIOUS OF ROSS AND KLINEMAN POSING FOR PICTURES AT EMPIRE STATE BUILDING'S GRAND STAIRCASE (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL-WINNING BEACH VOLLEYBALL DUO MEMBER, ALIX KLINEMAN, SAYING: "I mean, we said, 'I can't believe we won gold' so many times to each other, and I think it's starting to sink in a little bit, but it's still so exciting and we're thrilled." VARIOUS OF ROSS AND KLINEMAN POSING FOR PICTURES AT EMPIRE STATE BUILDING'S GRAND STAIRCASE (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL-WINNING BEACH VOLLEYBALL DUO MEMBER, APRIL ROSS, SAYING: "Well, I mean, we've gone through a lot of ups and downs, and especially with the pandemic, we had to deal with a lot of challenges. And I just feel like all of that brought us closer together. And, you know, we communicate really well together, been through a lot together. And I think we want the same things and work the same way. And it just thankfully, it works." (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL-WINNING BEACH VOLLEYBALL DUO MEMBER, ALIX KLINEMAN, SAYING: "Yeah. I think, you know, we want the same things. We have the same goals and we've put in a lot of work. And so that just kind of creates a lot of trust and respect and knowing what we've each gone through to make this happen, you know, it's we feel really connected in this." (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL-WINNING BEACH VOLLEYBALL DUO MEMBER, APRIL ROSS, SAYING: "And the hugs help." (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL-WINNING BEACH VOLLEYBALL DUO MEMBER, ALIX KLINEMAN, SAYING: "Yeah." ROSS AND KLINEMAN WALKING INTO EMPIRE STATE BUILDING'S 86TH FLOOR OBSERVATORY (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL-WINNING BEACH VOLLEYBALL DUO MEMBER, ALIX KLINEMAN, SAYING: "We just take it to kind of slow down the game and talk, and breathe, and stall and, you know, all those things, but it's part of our routine now and we like it and it feels weird if we don't hug. So it's, I don't know..." (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL-WINNING BEACH VOLLEYBALL DUO MEMBER, APRIL ROSS, SAYING: "Yeah, it brings us together energetically. But also we play in a lot of places that are really hot, and it's exhausting. It's an exhausting game to play. And so they only give us 12 seconds between points to make that longer we, you know, hug." (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL-WINNING BEACH VOLLEYBALL DUO MEMBER, ALIX KLINEMAN, SAYING: "We got creative." ROSS AND KLINEMAN LOOKING AT MANHATTAN FROM EMPIRE STATE BUILDING'S 86TH FLOOR OBSERVATORY (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL-WINNING BEACH VOLLEYBALL DUO MEMBER, APRIL ROSS, SAYING: "I mean, there's so much to say. We're just so excited to be able to bring home the gold to the U.S. and put beach volleyball, the American beach volleyball, back on top. And, yeah, it's just an honor." (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL-WINNING BEACH VOLLEYBALL DUO MEMBER, ALIX KLINEMAN, SAYING: "We're just grateful for all of the support and everybody that's been cheering for us." (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL-WINNING BEACH VOLLEYBALL DUO MEMBER, APRIL ROSS, SAYING: "Yeah." ROSS AND KLINEMAN POSING FOR PICTURES AT EMPIRE STATE BUILDING'S 86TH FLOOR OBSERVATORY (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL-WINNING BEACH VOLLEYBALL DUO MEMBER, ALIX KLINEMAN, SAYING: "Well, the last tournament being in Italy, it's in Sardinia, on an island, so I'm really looking forward to that. And then I have a friend getting married there and then I'm hoping to spend a week there, COVID-19 allows. So that's mostly what I'm looking forward to at the end." (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL-WINNING BEACH VOLLEYBALL DUO MEMBER, APRIL ROSS, SAYING: "Yeah, just relaxing, going on vacation. To that, I'm going to go snowboarding this year. I've held off snowboarding, so I didn't get injured the last couple of years, and I'm going to take a two-week vacation to do that." ROSS AND KLINEMAN POSING FOR PICTURES AT EMPIRE STATE BUILDING'S 86TH FLOOR OBSERVATORY
- Embargoed: 23rd August 2021 20:46
- Keywords: NEW YORK UNITED STATES
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Sport,United States,Volleyball
- Reuters ID: LVA001EPK7HHJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Women's Beach Volleyball Duo, Alix Klineman and April Ross, stopped by the Empire State Building on Monday (August 9) to celebrate their Gold Medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
Ross and Klineman won the first Olympic gold medal for the United States in women's beach volleyball since 2012 on Friday (August 6), when they beat Australia's Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy at the Tokyo Games, with temperatures on the sand court rising to 45°C (113°F).
With chants of "U-S-A" from 20 team administrative staff members cheering them in an otherwise empty arena, the U.S. duo started off strong and sailed through the match 21-13, 21-15 under the scorching sun.
The final disappointment for Australia was a service into the net that gave Klineman and Ross the winning point, prompting the U.S. pair to replace their gentle hover hugs that had followed each score with a deep embrace.
About 10 officials from each country's Olympic federation were on hand to cheer their teams at the shadeless court propped up at the Shiokaze Park alongside Tokyo Bay.
The public was not invited due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The United States, the birthplace of beach volleyball, and Brazil have dominated the medals since it became an Olympic sport in 1996 - between them accounting for nine of the 12 golds in the men's and women's events coming into the 2020 Games.
Ross and Klineman's dominant two-set win over Australia at Tokyo 2020 counted as the fourth U.S. women's gold in a sport introduced to the Olympics in 1996.
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