They needed it. Both of them.
Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb needed a fifth or better this week in Sochi to keep their Olympic hopes alive.
Sarah Sponcil and Kelly Claes needed a medal in Sochi to jump Kerri Walsh Jennings and Brooke Sweat to claim the lead for the second American qualifying spot for the Tokyo Olympics.
They’ve done it. Both of them.
On Saturday morning in Russia, Bourne and Crabb beat Russians Konstantin Semenov and Ilya Leshukov, 22-20, 21-14. They beat the same team that knocked them out of the final Cancun bubble just a few weeks ago. They needed a fifth or better then, too. They got their fifth.
They saved their better for Sochi. They saved it for when they were in front of a Russian crowd that was sold out. They saved it for when the sense of urgency was at its highest, when a loss would have doused their Olympic hopes.
And they delivered. Bourne and Crabb were nothing short of spectacular on Saturday morning. Bourne put together a run of a side out, ace, and a pair of consecutive blocks to give the Americans a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
They’re not done yet, Bourne and Crabb. Far from it. They have another match on Friday, against the Netherlands’ Steven van de Velde and Christiaan Varenhorst. A win will put them in the medal rounds, where they could make bigger jumps up the Olympic rankings, where they could improve their chances of qualifying.
Sponcil and Claes are not done yet. Far from it.
They have a gold medal match to play, on Saturday night against Swiss Nina Betschart and Tanja Huberli.
A silver medal is nice. A silver medal is a boost to their Olympic ranks. A silver medal is, in many respects, what they came to Russia for.
But nothing beats gold.
That’s why they’re in Sochi. To chase Olympic dreams, yes.
But also to Chase Gold.
