While all eyes are on Paris as it prepares to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, Kerri Walsh Jennings is looking forward to what’s to come in four years’ time in the place that helped her become the beach volleyball legend she is today.
The five-time Olympian and three-time gold medalist is excited that the 2028 Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles, an unusual location given her chosen sport.
Walsh Jennings hopes that Santa Monica, the birthplace of modern beach volleyball, will host the event at the 2028 Olympics.
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Beach volleyball legend Kerri Walsh Jennings poses in front of the Eiffel Tower with a Santa Monica Travel & Tourism ball. (Santa Monica Travel and Tourism)
Walsh Jennings said: Santa Monica Travel and Tourism Ahead of the men’s and women’s beach volleyball finals in Paris, he explained why this legendary part of Los Angeles would “ideally” be the place to host the world’s best players in 2028.
“The sand is deep, it’s so clean, it’s just a dream place to be because all the greats have played here, trained here and cut their teeth here,” she told Fox News Digital. “Growing up as a young athlete, Santa Monica was a big part of my journey to becoming a great player. Looking ahead to 2028, we’re going to have four great teams representing our country. [teams] And two women.
“I can’t think of a better city to represent our great sport.”
Beach volleyball legend Kerri Walsh Jennings feels ‘something special’ about American patriotism in Paris
As Walsh Jennings says, California’s beaches don’t need to be sold on anyone as a landing spot, but “not all beaches are created equal.”
“In my opinion, the city of Santa Monica and its 3.5 miles of gorgeous white sand beach are just perfect for my life, especially as a beach volleyball player,” she explained. “I’ve traveled all over the world and competed in some very iconic locations like the Eiffel Tower Stadium in Paris and the Copacabana in Rio, but I can’t think of a better beach to compete, play and hang out with my family than Santa Monica Beach. It’s absolutely amazing.”
“As we head into the 2028 Olympics, we know beach volleyball will be back in the spotlight because Santa Monica is literally the birthplace of beach volleyball. I can’t think of a better city to represent our great sport than Santa Monica.”
Santa Monica Beach with a volleyball net (Kristen Behnke)
Nearly a century ago, in 1930, today’s modern form of beach volleyball, played by teams of two on the sand, was born in Santa Monica. That’s why Walsh Jennings isn’t the only one who thought it was a good idea to see beach volleyball played in its birthplace. Misty Kearns, president and CEO of Santa Monica Travel & Tourism, is preparing to do just that.
“Santa Monica has a long tradition of welcoming everyone, from Olympians to novices, to play and explore in the sand, and we join Los Angeles as we prepare to host the 2028 Olympic Games,” Kearns told Fox News Digital.
“Santa Monica is the perfect place for sports enthusiasts to base themselves off for a beach getaway. Not only does it offer an outdoor athletic culture, it also offers a wide range of choices from 40 great hotels, eight shopping districts with plenty of restaurants featuring outdoor dining and plenty of entertainment.”
For Walsh Jennings, Santa Monica’s restaurants and shopping are her livelihood, and while she honed her skills to reach the Olympic pinnacle, she enjoyed all the city had to offer.
Aerial view of Santa Monica Pier (Santa Monica Travel and Tourism)
“When I moved there, I’d go to North Carolina, go to the gym and I’d be like, ‘Oh, Jordan played here,'” she said. “That’s what Santa Monica is to me. … The best players in our sport played in Santa Monica.”
“So when I moved to (Southern California), I went to train with my partner of 10 years, Misty May Trainor. She grew up on the beach in Santa Monica.”
The pair won gold medals in three consecutive Olympic Games and became part of great history on the sands of Santa Monica.
For Walsh Jennings, it will be tough to see the U.S. return home from Paris without a medal in men’s or women’s beach volleyball, but he’s confident the talented players will turn that around when the tournament returns to his home country in four years.
Kerri Walsh Jennings attended the Parity Paris show at the Opera Garnier on July 28, 2024 in Paris. (Julian M. Hekimian/Getty Images)
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“I know we fell short in Paris, nobody made it to the semifinals and it’s very disappointing,” she said, “but it doesn’t take away from how great our athletes were. So I think the fact that Los Angeles is going to host the Olympics is just going to motivate our athletes to get even better, to push themselves and bring everything they learned in Paris back home and do their best on the sand in LA.”
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