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Fourth-Place Medal, a Yahoo! Sports blog covering the Summer Olympics in Beijing

Fourth-Place Medal

Thu Aug 14, 2008 1:25 pm EDT

The mystery of the black stuff on Kerri Walsh's shoulder

By Chris Chase

"My friend said she's covering up a tattoo."

"The black tape might be a tribute to somebody."

"It IS a tattoo."

"Tape. It's some sort of medical tape."

"That's actually a Nike swoosh."

Everyone has an opinion about what that black stuff is on Kerri Walsh's shoulder: some are right, most are wrong. But that's why we're here, to separate the fact from the fiction. After some Phelps-like domination in solving our first three mysteries, Fourth-Place Medal's Investigative Unit (FPMIU) will today tackle the mystery of the black stuff on Kerri Walsh's shoulder.

If you've watched any beach volleyball so far during the Olympics, you've surely noticed it. Spread across American star Kerri Walsh's right shoulder is a distinct black marking that sort of looks like a cross between a tribal tattoo and a Rorschach test. (I see a butterfly.) So what is it?

As is usually the case in instances like this, the most mundane explanation is also the correct one. The black markings on Walsh's shoulder are a sort of medical tape. Specifically, it's called kinesio tape, a special elastic material designed to support muscles while offering an unimpeded range of motion. Walsh had shoulder surgery last fall to remove bone chips, bone spurs and scar tissue that had built up over a lifetime of setting and spiking. The tape, and taping method, help stabilize the shoulder during the match and aids in circulation.

Mystery: solved.

Tomorrow, Fourth-Place Medal will tackle our biggest mystery yet. We're watching old Murder, She Wrote reruns to prepare. If you have an Olympic mystery you'd like solved, leave a comment below.

Photo via Getty Images

Related: Olympic Mystery Solved

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3193 Comments

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  1. klsatlin
    1. Posted by klsatlin Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:52 pm EDT

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    I want to know what Michael Phelps is listening to on his iPod.
  2. Ava
    2. Posted by Ava Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:59 pm EDT

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    3 questions:
    what is phelps listening to on his ipod before his races?
    why do so many of the swimmers grab a mouthful of water which they swish and spit before their races?
    why is the age set for "must be or be turning 16 in the competition year" for the gymnastics? (for health reasons???)
  3. BRIAN S
    3. Posted by BRIAN S Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:14 pm EDT

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    they never talked about it during her first match... I turned on the TV . I pretty much knew it was tape, but still looked bizarre!! I'm like... how can that help?
    then went online yesterday and someone talked about what kind of tape it was and explained the purpose. I might have to try that stuff
  4. christmasgirl9710
    4. Posted by christmasgirl9710 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:24 pm EDT

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    i want to know why michael phelps is always listening to musicon his ipod before every competition!
  5. phanvu01
    5. Posted by phanvu01 Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:09 pm EDT

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    Why do the better swimmers usually swim in the middle lanes?
  6. ike
    6. Posted by ike Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:55 pm EDT

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    Why did George Bush smack Misty May on the beach volleyball court? I've seen it a million times, I think it's hilarious!
  7. kurt a
    7. Posted by kurt a Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:54 pm EDT

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    But the announcer said what it was during the match!
  8. Kelley J
    8. Posted by Kelley J Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:49 pm EDT

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    Why is all the writing on the walls of each venue and even on the backs of the jerseys in English? Is English the official language of the Olympics?
  9. Bill D
    9. Posted by Bill D Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:43 pm EDT

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    Phelps is listening to a sound track of little frenchmen crying !
  10. Bill D
    10. Posted by Bill D Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:43 pm EDT

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    English is the Offical Language of the World , I have a Friend in Russia that when he does business with a ,say, Italian company , they will both speak in English ...
  11. Courtney D
    11. Posted by Courtney D Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:20 pm EDT

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    I have a question for you... Are there different age requirements for different sports? With all the controversy over whether the Chinese gymnasts are really 16, why isn't it an issue for 14-year-old Tom Daley, from the U.K.'s syncronized diving team?
    Thanks!
  12. Miranda
    12. Posted by Miranda Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:21 pm EDT

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    Why are there 2 bronze medals given out for Wrestling in the Olympics? Why don't they have a bronze medal match to determine the best one?
    Are there other sports in which the standard medal awards are not followed (other than in the occasional tie)?
    I'd really like to know this. Thanks,
  13. David
    13. Posted by David Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:38 pm EDT

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    I think it's obvious that the tape is for medical reasons.
    Is Michael Phelps doping on something new and undetectable? Scientists have developed genetic doping for animals, is that it?
    Who came up with the 16 age limit for gymnastics? If it's for health reasons, it doesn't make sense since all of the good gymnasts have been training since they where little babies, doing the same dangerous tricks.
    It's so obvious that all the weightlifters are doping, so there has to be some sort of new, undetectable steroid.
  14. Kamatari
    14. Posted by Kamatari Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:19 pm EDT

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    Wait, this was a mystery? Did you miss it when announcers talked about it when the tape appeared on swimmers and divers (yeah, Kerri Walsh was BY FAR not the only person to use the stuff in Beijing)? If only cases in real life are as easy to figure out as these "mysteries"...
  15. 3 places - 3 medals?
    15. Posted by 3 places - 3 medals? Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:30 pm EDT

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    Wrestling, Judo, Boxing?
    Are these sports federations so beaten and brain damaged that they no longer can count to 3 or beyond?
    Its not like they can't settle the issue with a match.
    The only time swimming or another sport would award 2 bronze is due to an exact tie.
    Is every bout an exact tie???
    1 - Gold
    2 - Silver
    3 - Bronze
    4 - Tough luck
  16. David
    16. Posted by David Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:38 pm EDT

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    There was actually an exact tie yesterday in freestyle.
    American and Brazilian swimmers got the exact same time. Instead of counting in hundredths of seconds, we need to start counting in thousandths of a second.
  17. Yeeeeeah
    17. Posted by Yeeeeeah Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:46 pm EDT

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    I could've swore I saw Johnathan Horton of the US Gymanstics team picking up one of those bear shaped containers of honey and squeezing it's contents into his hand. Also, Horton squatted down to meditate right before his vault and I saw the bear container again, next to that chalk stand thing. So, do they squeeze honey on their hands or what?
  18. Bailey Z
    18. Posted by Bailey Z Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:00 pm EDT

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    Why do they use honey for gymnastics?? why not something without sugar?
  19. Heidi K
    19. Posted by Heidi K Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:18 pm EDT

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    The song playing during the beach volleyball with the whistling is "Young Folks" by Peter, Bjorn and John
  20. Bailey Z
    20. Posted by Bailey Z Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:00 pm EDT

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    Also here's a bigger mystery to me: why is it during swimming, sometimes the speedo's insignia is blacked out (I thought it had to do with sponsorship and they didn't want to give free advertising to speedo during the olympics), but at other times, it wasn't blacked out?? WHY????
  21. PF
    21. Posted by PF Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:07 pm EDT

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    Hey NBC, other than Phelps, the Redeem Team, and the Misty/Walsh duo do you need other activities to fill the 3600 hours of air time of Olympics broadcasting right? Why keep on repeating those SOS!
    We thought there are about 10k athletes from 204 countries participating thousands of competitions around at Beijing 2008.
  22. PF
    22. Posted by PF Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:07 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Hey NBC, other than Phelps, the Redeem Team, and the Misty/Walsh duo do you need other activities to fill the 3600 hours of air time of Olympics broadcasting right? Why keep on repeating those SOS!
    We thought there are about 10k athletes from 204 countries participating thousands of competitions around at Beijing 2008.
  23. PF
    23. Posted by PF Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:07 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Hey NBC, other than Phelps, the Redeem Team, and the Misty/Walsh duo do you need other activities to fill the 3600 hours of air time of Olympics broadcasting right? Why keep on repeating those SOS!
    We thought there are about 10k athletes from 204 countries participating thousands of competitions around at Beijing 2008.
  24. CLW
    24. Posted by CLW Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:57 pm EDT

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    Cheating been going on for many Years in some events, nothing new about that.
    Case in Point! Russian and Chinese did the same Dives. Very obvious Russians did better Dives, but scored lower than the Chinese.
    I'm American, not Russian.
  25. coolio!
    25. Posted by coolio! Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:54 pm EDT

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    hey that really helpful ive been wondering what that suff was on her shoulder!hmmm thats really interesting!!!!!

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