Lausanne, Switzerland, July 15, 2015 – Reigning Olympic champion Kerri Walsh is expected to be out of action for up to a month after she dislocated her shoulder during the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Gstaad Major Series event.
It was the second time in just over a month that she dislocated her right shoulder after she was forced to pull out of the Moscow Grand Slam with the same injury earlier in the season.
There is the likelihood that Walsh, who finished fourth with April Ross in Gstaad, will require shoulder surgery, but with a minimum of three months recovery she may postpone it till later in the World Tour season.
“In one scenario, I’m back next year. In one scenario, I’m back in five or six weeks,” Walsh told NBC Sports. “I’m still trying to flush out all the details.”
Walsh has previously undergone four shoulder surgeries and if she postpones surgery till later in 2015, the earliest she will be back is the Long Beach Grand Slam from August 18-23.
Walsh is aiming for a fourth Olympic gold medal after success with Misty May-Treanor at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012, while Ross won silver alongside Jennifer Kessy at London 2012.
The pair have played World Tour tournaments in 2015, with their third place at the Fuzhou Open their best result. After teaming up in mid-2013 they have won six World Tour events.