Olympic Volleyball Star Digs for Gold - With a Metal Detector

We’ve all had moments of panic when we realize we’ve lost our wallet or washed our diamond ring down the drain. We all don’t, however, have to play an Olympic beach volleyball match in front of an audience of millions once the dread sets in. Kerri Walsh, the lanky half of beach volleyball’s hottest duo, blocked a spike at the net on Sunday, when her coveted wedding band flew off her finger into the sand.

Luckily a staff of 20 volunteers was at the ready to help her look for it. Perhaps not so lucky was the fact that they had to comb through 17,000 tons of sand and wait nearly six hours so the day’s matches could finish. Needle meet haystack.

With help from metal detectors and video footage, volunteer Song Zhendongdug found the gold band under the net after about 20 minutes. A thankful Walsh met the volunteer personally on Monday to retrieve it and gave him some souvenir pins and signed memorabilia for his trouble. What? No cash?

This will most likely not be the last gold item handed over to Walsh in Beijing. She and partner, Misty May-Treanor, won the gold in Athens and are expected to make a repeat performance this time around. Just put some tape on your bling, Kerri. Ok?