SoCal beach volleyball Olympian takes home gold
3 years
(Screenshots from Instagram and Youtube)
Hermosa Beach local Alix Klineman is a gold-medal Olympian after she and her partner April Ross defeatedTeam Australia during the beach volleyball finals in Tokyo on Aug. 5.
Klineman, 31, and Ross, 39 — the American A-Team — defeated Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy 21-15 and 21-16 Thursday evening local time.
“It’s just been such a fairytale. It feels like a dream I’m gonna wake up from tomorrow, but I’m glad it’s not,” Kilneman told The TODAY Show on Aug. 6. “I’m so grateful and proud and thankful for everyone who has helped us along.”
Klineman made the switch from indoor volleyball to beach volleyball in 2017. This is her first time competing in the Olympics. Although the 6 foot 5 Klineman doesn’t identify as Jewish, she was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Hall of Fame in 2015. Her father, Mike Klineman is Jewish and together with his family has been cheering her on during her matches via watch parties in Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Mar Vista.
“I’m very proud of her and very excited for her,” he said. “It’s an unbelievable achievement and she has worked so hard to get here. I used to kid with her that the only one more determined and competitive than her was (the late) Kobe Bryant.”