2008 Olympics Personal Stories: American Beach Volleyball Player Loses Wedding Ring During Match

Kerri Walsh's Ring Flew Off During a Block

Patricia Sicilia
Americans Kerri Walsh and her partner Misty May-Treanor, won the opening beach volleyball match against Japan on Saturday. But in her quest for a gold medal, Kerri lost her most important gold when her wedding flew off while she made a block during the match.

Fortunately for her, the slow-motion camera was able to pinpoint where the ring fell, and after the match a team of volunteers and venue personnel set out onto the 17,000 tons of sand with tools and a metal detector to look for the ring.

Volunteer Song Zhendong found the ring and returned it to Kerri on Monday morning and she rewarded him with a batch of Olympic pins, an autographed visor and a "customary beach volleyball love pat" on his derriere. A visibly bemused Song gave the victory sign and went away smiling.

Kerri commented that "My husband will stay married to me now." (Well, maybe not, my Italian husband said, if she keeps slapping strange men on the butt!)

Something tells me Kerri won't be wearing her ring in any more volleyball matches.

Published by Patricia Sicilia - Featured Contributor in Travel

A Domestic Travel Featured Contributor, Patricia Sicilia's wordsmithing began at age 9 when, after reading a book way too old for her, she told her mother "I'm retiring to my boudoir." Freelancing for over...   View profile

13 Comments

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  • Sheri Fresonke Harper 8/26/2008

    Odd to think of wearing it, great article :) Sheri

  • Don A Shepard 8/19/2008

    I wonder if the guy will ever wash his but? Nice read for sure.

  • Patricia Sicilia 8/19/2008

    Absolutely no idea! Try going into the Official Site of the U.S. Olympic teams, that might help. Only thing i can think of.

  • Sherri 8/19/2008

    How do I get a pin of Misty May and Kerri Walsh ?

  • R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen 8/13/2008

    Nice Job :)

  • me 8/12/2008

    Cheap b*tch. All she gave him were some crappy visors- she could have given him some money or something actually valuable!

  • Kerry 8/12/2008

    my husband wishes he found that ring ...LOL Good article, thanks

  • LINDA OTT 8/12/2008

    WHY WOULD YOU WEAR YOUR WEDDING RING TO PLAY VOLLEY BALL WHEN YOU KNOW THAT IT HAS A LOOSE FIT? DOESN'T MAKE MUCH SENSE, DOES IT?

  • memmay151 8/12/2008

    Nice story.

  • Agnes Farside 8/12/2008

    Thank goodness for the cameras.

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