Kritik und Lob » pretty good pace

RIO DE JANEIRO -- They call her Six Feet of Sunshine, and Kerri Walsh Jennings is pretty good under the moonlight, too.The three-time gold medalist and partner April Ross advanced to the quarterfinals of the Olympic beach volleyball tournament in a midnight match, dispatching Italy 21-10, 21-16 in just 35 minutes.It was the third time in four matches the Americans played at midnight to showcase them for the U.S. television audience.You wont hear them complain: The gold medal match is also scheduled for 12 a.m. local time.We know that we wanted to get used to the midnight matches because thats when the later (round) matches are, Walsh Jennings said.Ross said she has been getting to bed around 3:30 a.m. after the midnight madness. Walsh Jennings said its more like 5 a.m.Were just so amped, she said. But we dont have to set an alarm in the morning.Walsh Jennings earned her nickname from her sunny disposition.But, as her opponents can attest, shes fierce on the court.One match after losing a set to Switzerland -- just the first set the Americans lost in Rio, and the second Walsh Jennings has lost in 25 Olympic matches -- the Americans rallied from deficits in both sets to put Italy away.That made it an early night of sorts for the fans who packed the Copacabana venue, despite the late start. Among those in the stands: comedian Leslie Jones, who draped an American flag around her shoulders and led her section in cheering.Walsh Jennings said she made eye contact with the Ghostbusters star on her way out to the court, and appreciated the energy she brought to the crowd. Shes just on fire, she said.The Americans first formed their partnership in London, when Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor won their third straight gold medal -- beating Ross and Jennifer Kessy in the final. With May-Treanor retiring, Walsh Jennings asked Ross to join her on the quest for a fourth.Four years isnt all that long for a beach volleyball partnership, but its an eternity compared to Italians Marta Menegatti and Laura Giombini.Menegatti had qualified for Rio with Viktoria Orsi Toth, finishing a comfortable eighth in the world tour standings that fill out most of the field. But Orsi Toth failed a doping test just days before the Olympics were to begin, and she was replaced by Giombini.I want to thank Laura. It wasnt easy for her, Menegatti said. I am sad about Vicki. I am sad because shes not here and she should be here. But I think everything will work out because shes in the right. I have no doubt.The Italians had four training sessions before their opener in Rio, but still managed to advance out of group play and into the knockout round.Its the easiest thing in the world, Menegatti said with a smile, with four days of training when you work four years for this competition. 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The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it. Editors Note: Chris Low covers college football for ESPN.com. Below is an excerpt of his article about Steve Spurriers return to Florida.This was Steve Spurriers day, the day he was officially welcomed back to Florida -- as Head Gator Ambassador -- and he and his family soaked in every bit of it, starting with a two-hour autograph session at the UF Bookstore to promote his new autobiography Head Ball Coach: My Life in Football and ending with one stroll after another down memory lane as Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium became Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.I think about my life path and how blessed Ive been, said Spurrier, gazing out onto the field and watching the final few minutes of the first half in the Gators plodding 24-7 victory over UMass. Its just amazing to be here and to have had all the great things that have happened to me. When Doug Dickey brought me back here to coach quarterbacks (in 1978), we got fired after one year. I was done. I didnt know where I was going or what I was going to do. At one point, my assistant coaching record was 10-24-1. But I guess all roads just sort of keep leading back to Florida.Even as a 71-year-old ambassador who walks with a familiar limp thanks to a surgically replaced knee, Spurrier still scurries at a pretty good pace. And it turns out that he still has a few movees, too.ddddddddddddAs part of the Steve Spurrier Field dedication before the game, he led the Gators traditional Mr. Two Bits cheer with a rousing performance and then a Usain Bolt pose to close the deal.All day long, his former players flocked around him. They all have their favorite Spurrier stories, and most of those stories only get better with him. And his memory, expressly his ability to recall the most obscure details from years ago, is uncanny.Some of the best interaction with Spurrier came with the fans, who crammed into the UF Bookstore to buy his book and then wait in line to get an autographed copy. Buddy Martin, who co-authored the book with Spurrier, was there helping to direct traffic and said hed never seen Spurrier, admittedly not a huge autograph guy, so giddy to sign for so many people.After two hours of signing books, it was difficult to tell whether the fans were happier to have Spurrier back or if he was happier to be back. He joked that he would stay busy ambassadoring.Even though it was a long day, it was a day Spurrier and his entire family will cherish. Hes big on winning, big on having fun and big on family.To read Chris Lows entire article about Spurriers return to Florida, visit ESPN.com. ' ' '