Two triple Olympic champions get together in Boca Chica

BOCA CHICA, Dominican Republic, October 3, 2019 - There is an English maxim which says, “Birds of a feather flock together” meaning that birds of the same variety tend to congregate.

That statement was never more accurate than this Thursday afternoon when Kerri Walsh Jennings met with Mireya Luis at the preliminary inspection of the NORCECA Final Hamaca Beach Volleyball Tournament 2019 in Boca Chica.

It happens that both are triple Olympic gold medalists in volleyball. The American Walsh Jennings as the most decorated player in the history of beach volleyball and Cuban Luis as one of the members of Las Morenas del Caribe who won three straight Olympic titles in indoor volleyball.

Walsh Jennings started her Olympian career as an indoor player in Sydney 2000, the same year Luis won her last gold medal following the triumphs of her Cuban teams in Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996.

Walsh’s U.S. Team finished fourth in Sydney before starting a successful beach career partnering with Misty May Treanor. They went on to claim the gold medals in Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012 before finishing with a bronze in Rio de Janeiro 2016.

Walsh Jennings and partner Brooke Sweat are currently ranked ninth by FIVB and for the first time is seeing action in this NORCECA double gender event which grants 600 FIVB points for the winners. Luis is the president of the organizing committee.

They both exchanged accolades before the start of the general technical meeting traditionally held on the eve of the competition.

“For me it is a great honor to meet Kerri, who is a beautiful person, very humble,” Mireya said. “It is the first time I have the chance to meet a triple Olympic champion other than my teammates. Life gave us the chance to relive those moments of glory.”

“What a gift to see the legend, Mireya Luis, after so many years,” Kerri said. “Mireya was my first idol in the game- Mireya and Misty May. She will always be an inspiration to me.”