2008 Olympics Personal Stories: American Beach Volleyball Player Loses Wedding Ring During Match

Kerri Walsh's Ring Flew Off During a Block

Americans Kerri Walsh and her partner Misty May-Treanor, won the opening beach volleyball match against Japan on Saturday. But in her quest for a gold medal, Kerri lost her most important gold when her wedding flew off while she made a block during the match.

Fortunately for her, the slow-motion camera was able to pinpoint where the ring fell, and after the match a team of volunteers and venue personnel set out onto the 17,000 tons of sand with tools and a metal detector to look for the ring.

Volunteer Song Zhendong found the ring and returned it to Kerri on Monday morning and she rewarded him with a batch of Olympic pins, an autographed visor and a "customary beach volleyball love pat" on his derriere. A visibly bemused Song gave the victory sign and went away smiling.

Kerri commented that "My husband will stay married to me now." (Well, maybe not, my Italian husband said, if she keeps slapping strange men on the butt!)

Something tells me Kerri won't be wearing her ring in any more volleyball matches.