Four times in a row has the youngest team in the Olympic race successfully navigated a country quota. Now, after Wednesday’s qualifier, Sarah Sponcil and Kelly Claes have moved into the main draw in three of those four events.
This is no easy or simple feat and, indeed, no other team in the world has had the country quota success of Claes and Sponcil in Cancun.
There is no pressure like that of a country quota and qualifier. They’re single elimination. One off match and that’s it. Add onto that the fact that losing will take a bludgeon to your entry points, stunt your Olympic points, and add a ding to your bank account, and country quotas and qualifiers may be some of the most stress-inducing, least-fun matches to play.
No matter.
Claes and Sponcil moved on once more, beating Venezuela’s Norisbeth Agudo and Gabi Brito, 21-18, 21-16.
Tomorrow morning’s match, against fellow Chasing Gold athletes Kelley Kolinske and Emily Stockman, will mark Claes and Sponcil’s 13th of the Cancun Bubble. It will be Kolinske and Stockman’s seventh.
Such is the nature of this three-event beast. Playing more matches is generally a good sign, especially if you’re Claes and Sponcil, who are making a push to surpass Kerri Walsh Jennings and Brooke Sweat in the Olympic race to Tokyo.
The toughest part – arguably – is finished. From here on out, it is not do or die. They are main draw once again, where they absolutely belong.
Pool play begins on Thursday morning. Claes and Sponcil will play Stockman and Kolinske at 7 a.m. Pacific, 9 a.m. Central, 10 a.m. Eastern. Sweat and Walsh Jennings play Argentina at the same time. April Ross and Alix Klineman, bronze medalists in the second Cancun event, will play Finland at 9 a.m. Pacific.
On the men’s side, Jake Gibb and Taylor Crabb will play Mexico at 11 a.m. Pacific, Chasing Gold’s Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb face Canada’s Sam Schachter and Sam Pedlow at noon, and Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena will see Brazilian qualifiers Pedro and Arthur at noon as well. Chaim Schalk and Theo Brunner, who beat Switzerland in Wednesday’s qualifier, play Spain’s Pablo Herrera and Adrian Gavira at 2 p.m. Pacific.
