Utah's Jake Gibb's mature Olympic career ends prematurely in Tokyo

Temple in Tokyo Photo: Alejandro Barba

TOKYO, Japan. — Born and raised in Bountiful, Utah a suburb of Salt Lake City, Jake Gibb’s, 45, mature Olympic career came to a premature end today on the beach volleyball sand at the Tokyo 2020 Games. The oldest beach or court USA volleyball athlete in the history of the Olympics, Gibb had made his intentions clear that he has his sights set on retirement after Tokyo. He, in all likelihood, has seen the sun set on his storied career after failing to advance to the knockout rounds of his sport with his partner Tri Bourne against Team Germany two sets to one. The first set was won by Gibb/Bourne 21 – 17 before Germany took the final two sets at 21 – 15 and 15 – 11.

Bourne wasn’t Gibbs playing partner going in to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. His first partner tested positive for COVID – 19 early on in their Olympic journey. Getting right to work though, Bourne and Gibb made it all the way to the last game in the round-of-16 before losing to Thole/Wickler.

Gibb’s storied athletic contribution to Team USA is as follows:

Four-time Olympian (2008, 2012, 2016, 2020)
Olympic Games Rio 2016, 9th (tied with Casey Patterson)
Olympic Games London 2012, 5th (tied with Sean Rosenthal)
Olympic Games Beijing 2008, 5th (tied with Sean Rosenthal)

When asked by NBC if he feels his age is a disadvantage in the Olympic Games, Gibb said, “When I get on the court, I feel like my age is an advantage,” referring to his years of experience.

The Bountiful High School graduate who also attended the University of Utah is a married father of two. He and his twin brother, Coleman, are the youngest of 11 siblings, of which all six boys share the same middle name, their mother’s maiden name, Spiker.

Gibb’s beach volleyball coach Richard Lambourne said to NBC that watching Gibb play is akin to, “sitting in the passenger seat in an F1 auto race.”

To train for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Gibb worked out in a sauna, on a stationary bike in preparation for the hot Tokyo sand courts. It was so hot and humid during Gibbs games that the staff at that venus wore custom shirts with built-in fans to keep them cool.

In 2010, Gibb found out he had testicular cancer from a USADA drug test. The cancer was removed via surgery and no further treatment was necessary. A two-time cancer survivor, he has a scar on his shoulder from a bout with skin cancer in 2004. His teammate Bourne recently received a diagnosis from the University of Utah, after one eluded doctors nationwide, of an autoimmune disorder.