There were tears of joy (and a whole lot of hugging) flowing at Chaoyang Stadium in Beijing Thursday morning as Kerri Walsh & Misty May-Treanor defended their gold medal from Athens in women’s beach volleyball in a dramatic defeat of China.
And Shaun Robinson was there in the pouring rain to talk with the gold medal winners.
As “reigning” champions, in more ways than one — An exuberant Kerri and Misty took down the home team, who was represented with plenty of support.
But despite the Chinese chant, “Jye-Yo!” – which means, “Go! Go! China!” – the rain-soaked Americans took the gold — having fun with it the whole way, of course – and then doled out the love with high-fives and hugs for everyone.
“I’m so happy, I’m so full of love right now,” Kerry practically screamed out loud to her crowd of adoring fans after the meet was over.
Nobody was as excited as Kerri’s husband of nearly three years, fellow volleyball player, Casey Jennings.
Casey was ecstatic as he greeted his wife after her win. “Cheers honey, I love you,” he said. “Good job! You did great!”
“What did you say to her as soon as she hugged you?” Shaun asked Casey.
“I love you, I’m so very proud of you, and then I think I just started crying like a little baby.”
“He’s the cutest thing,” Kerri added in.
But there was one question that Shaun really wanted to have answered.
“Now, speaking of babies,” Shaun asked Kerri. “Is now the time for one?”
“I’m in,” Kerri answered immediately.
“Yeah. That’d be a third gold medal, wouldn’t it?” Casey responded.
“It would,” Kerri said. “It’d be the best one yet.”
And just like her bump-set-spike partner, Misty told me later on the “Today” show set — where the rain continued to fall — that she’s ready for a baby too.
She even gave us her best stroller-pushing imitation.
“Most definitely,” Misty told Shaun. “You know, um, we put it on hold for 4 years, and it’s just the next journey.”
And Misty has a special way of keeping her mother, who passed away in 2002 from cancer, close to her.
“Now Misty,” Shaun began asking. “I know you have a tradition of scattering your mom’s ashes, did you get to do that this time?”
“I did,” Misty said. “I sprayed half of her on the first semi-final and then finished off at the finals. And that’s what we did in Athens and it wouldn’t be complete without her because she was there when Kerri and I first started.”
Shaun brings you more of Kerri and Misty’s emotional win, Thursday night on Access Hollywood.
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