Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan’s dream of second successive Olympic bronze medal ended in tatters after the Qatar beach volleyball duo lost on Saturday.
Tokyo 2020 gold medallists Anders Berntsen Mol and Christian Sandlie Soerum of Norway won the bronze medal play off match in two short, straight sets against Younousse and Tijan. The Norwegian pair took just over half an hour, winning 21-13, 21-16.
The Qataris had won fans in Paris for their style of play and interaction with the crowd, but they didn’t find their groove on Saturday despite some brave play, including one valiant dive that left Younousse face down in the sand. They rallied in the second set to deny the winning match point twice, but not enough to stop Norway claiming their win.
"We’re feeling really, really happy!” Mold said. "We are proud of the way we fought back after a tough loss in the semifinal. The dream was to play this next match and play for gold, but now we had to reset and refocus and just forget this semifinal loss. I’m proud of the way we kind of bounced back in the bronze medal match. Standing here with the bronze is really I am proud of.”
Meanwhile, Swedish pair David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig won gold, storming to an easy victory against their German opponents. The world number one pair – who had lost to Younousse and Tijan in the group stage – took just 34 minutes to conquer third-ranked Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler, who were previously unbeaten before eventually denied the top accolade and will leave Paris with silver.
Ahman and Hellvig, both aged 22, looked like they were thoroughly enjoying themselves, spinning on the sand, high-fiving and being cheered on by fans dressed in bright yellow.
They kept the constant edge over the German pair to win the first set by an easy 21/10, and while Germany narrowed the gap in the second set it ended 21/13 after a dramatic fumble over the net at the end.
Ehlers, who stands at 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 metres), used his height to make some superb blocks but was met by strong returns from the youthful Swedes, and the Germans gave away several points by sending the ball long.
The Swedes applauded and bowed to the crowd after the match as the illuminated Eiffel Tower twinkled behind them.
The top-ranked Swedish pair have become famous for their style of attacking play called the "Swedish jump-set”, which adds an element of unpredictability to attacking play. Beach volleyball has become one of the most popular events at the Olympics since its inclusion in 1996.