The beach volleyball competition at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has not gone as planned. Gold-medal favorites Larissa Franca and Talita Antunes of Brazil went down in the semifinals to Germans Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst, and the No. 2 Brazilian team of Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas put a stop to Kerri Walsh Jennings' dreams of a fourth gold medal. 

The hometown team outplayed Walsh Jennings and April Ross in almost every category. Walsh Jennings struggled in serve receive and the Brazilians kept the heat on her throughout the match. The Americans targeted Barbara with their serves, but she was only slightly less on fire than her partner Agatha, so it did nothing to prevent the Brazilians from taking the match in straight sets 22-20, 21-18.

American beach volleyball fans, and all those who were attracted by the story of Walsh Jennings pursuing her fourth gold after two devastating shoulder dislocations last summer, were crushed by the loss some thought impossible. 

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This will be the first Olympics since beach volleyball was added in 1996 in which the U.S. has not won gold in either the men's or women's tournament.

Walsh Jennings and Ross will play for the bronze medal against Larissa and Talita tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET. Barbara and Agatha will take on Ludwig and Walkenhorst at 10 p.m. ET for the gold.