Olympic Icon Kerri Walsh Jennings Fails to Qualify for Tokyo Games

Beach volleyball pro Kerri Walsh Jennings will not compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games after she and partner Brooke Sweat lost a qualifying match. “It’s a terrible, terrible feeling,” she said.

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Five-time Olympian Kerri Walsh Jennings will be cheering the U.S. from home after she and beach volleyball partner Brooke Sweat failed to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Walsh Jennings, 42, and Sweat, 35, lost in the final Olympics qualifying round while competing in Ostrava, Czech Republic on Wednesday, June 2. They were beat by two competitors from the Netherlands. 

According to NBC Sports, Walsh Jennings spoke to reporters after the match, sharing, “It’s a terrible, terrible feeling… It’s been a really rough year, and to lose in a qualifier, it feels really hard right now.”

“It’s a really hard day for us, so I think we’ll feel the pain,” she added.

Kelly Claes, 25, and Sarah Sponcil, 24, took the lead in qualifiers to clinch the final two spots on the U.S. Olympic women’s beach volleyball team, alongside April Ross, 38, and Alix Klineman, 31. According to NBC Sports, Claes and Sponcil will make Olympic history as the sport’s youngest U.S. team.

Prior to the qualifiers in Ostrava, Walsh Jennings and Sweat were on track to compete when the Tokyo Games, which were rescheduled because of the pandemic, begin on July 23.

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Walsh Jennings competed for the U.S. in four Olympic Games.

She and Ross, who was previously her partner for the Rio de Janeiro games, won the silver medal in 2016. Additionally, she and Misty May-Treanor took home the gold at Athens, Beijing and London.

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Though Walsh Jennings’ fans will miss her on the sand, Claes and Sponcil’s presence will make them the U.S. youngest pairing in the sport’s Olympic history.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Olympic men’s beach volleyball team have yet to be determined, though Jake Gibb and Taylor Crabb have a strong lead over Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena, with Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabbe not far behind.

How Allyson Felix Hopes to Inspire Moms Around the World at the Tokyo Olympic Games

In an exclusive interview with E! News, Olympian Allyson Felix explained how her 2-year-old daughter has inspired her to dream big before Tokyo.

Watch: Allyson Felix: Who Inspired the Olympian’s “Fighter Spirit”?

Allyson Felix is a mom on a mission.

After four unforgettable experiences at the Olympics, the track and field athlete is focused on competing once again at the 2020 Tokyo Games, rescheduled for 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

This year, however, the 35-year-old sprinter has a new motivating factor that is pushing her to do her best. If you didn’t already guess, it’s her 2-year-old daughter Camryn. 

“She’s given me a whole new drive,” Allyson exclusively shared with E! News when launching Pantene’s “What’s Your Legacy” campaign. “I’ve always been competitive and I’ve always wanted to win, but now, the reasoning behind it is just different. I want her to see what it looks like to be a hard worker, to overcome adversity. I can’t wait to tell her about these last, you know, couple years and how hard they have been, but how she has really motivated me to continue on.”

The University of Southern California alum added, “I hope that she’s able to learn all those lessons and I’m able to show her she was along for this journey and she’s really giving me the courage and helping me to continue.”

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Back in November 2018, Allyson announced the birth of her daughter with husband Kenneth Ferguson. Pregnancy complications dictated an emergency C-section at 32 weeks. After a brief stay in the NICU, baby Camryn was able to head home with her parents.

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Today, she’s already become one of Allyson’s biggest supporters as she trains for a spot on the United States team.

“She’s really into cheering now,” Allyson explained. “So, whenever she sees me running, she’s like ‘run mama, run’ and she’s really into just being a little cheerleader. It’s really fun to just see how the process develops and how she becomes more active.” 

As excitement continues to build for the Tokyo Games kicking off July 23, Allyson once again finds herself on the list of athletes to watch. In fact, winning two medals would make her the most decorated U.S. Olympic track and field athlete ever.

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But no matter how much attention is put on her races , the Los Angeles native is focused on making memories with her daughter.

As part of Pantene’s “What’s Your Legacy” campaign, Allyson was able to showcase one of her favorite mommy activities with Camryn.

“For me, growing up, it was a special time for me when my mom did my hair,” Allyson recalled after using Pantene’s Hydrating Butter Crème. “It was something that happened every morning and I would go into her room. It was just bonding time, so now, having a daughter and having those same moments with her have been really special.”

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And regardless of what happens in Tokyo, Allyson is hoping to leave a legacy to moms around the world that you don’t have to choose one path in life. In fact, you really can have it all.

“I hope they know and understand that they are still capable of doing all of the things,” she proclaimed. “Whether that is pushing through professionally, or just thriving at home, that we can do all of those things and we can pass on to our children the lessons we want them to learn.”