U.S. Olympic Women’s Beach Volleyball

Four American women will represent the United States in the beach volleyball competition at the 2008 Olympic games. Misty May-Treanor (pictured) and Kerri Walsh are the defending Olympic gold medalists and three-time world champions. This will be the third Olympic games for May-Treanor, Walsh and Elaine Youngs. May-Treanor and Walsh will be coached by Troy Tanner, an Olympic gold medal winner in indoor volleyball. Youngs and Nicole Branagh will be coached by 1988 Olympian Liz Masakayan.

The Americans will have stiff competition from the Chinese pair of Jia Tian and Jie Wang, one of two Chinese teams ranked in the top six in the world, according to the USA Volleyball Web site.

Volleyball has been an Olympic sport since 1964, but beach volleyball is a relative newcomer to the games, starting in 1996.

Misty May-Treanor (Costa Mesa, Calif.) – Age: 31

Kerri Walsh (Saratoga, Calif.) – Age: 30

Nicole Branagh (Orinda, Calif.) – Age: 29

Elaine Youngs (El Toro, Calif.). – Age: 38

For more information on the U.S. Women’s Olympic Beach Volleyball team, visit their website. If you want to see all U.S. Olympic qualifiers in every sport for the Beijing games starting in August, start your search on this official U.S. Olympics page.