Two-time U.S. Olympian Sean Rosenthal decided to withdraw from the World Beach Volleyball Championships starting this weekend following an injury to regular partner 2008 Olympic champion Phil Dalhausser.
Dalhausser, who is 35 years old like Rosenthal, is expected to return from a muscle tear in his left oblique at the FIVB World Tour Grand Slam event in Yokohama, Japan, in one month.
Rosenthal and Dalhausser won three World Tour events last season, more than any other pair. At the last World Championships in 2013, they were eliminated in the round of 16.
The U.S. pairs entered in Worlds in the Netherlands, which start Friday, are former minor-league pitcher and 7-footer Ryan Doherty and John Mayer, 42-year-old 1996 and 2000 indoor volleyball Olympian John Hyden and Tri Bourne, Rosenthal’s 2008 and 2012 Olympic partner Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson and Nick Lucena and Theo Brunner.
Gibb and Patterson won the FIVB World Tour Grand Slam in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Saturday, their second FIVB World Tour title since pairing for the start of the 2013 season.
The World Championships field also includes defending champions from host Netherlands -- Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen -- and Brazilian legends Ricardo and Emanuel, at least one of whom earned a medal at each of the last four Olympics, together or separately.
The World Beach Volleyball Championships schedule is available here.