It was above all Truls Möregårdh’s effort in the third and fourth set that paved the way for the victory. The 22-year-old Swede saved two set points and won 14–12 – both times.
In the deciding set, it was pure slaughter. He jumped into a big lead and dismissed Omar Assar 11–2 and is thus ready for the Olympic semi-finals.
Olympics in Paris 2024
Truls Möregårdh used his anger to win the Olympic quarter
Max Darj back – heavy break before the fateful match in Olympic handball
This despite the fact that he felt a great deal of nervousness during the match.
– I’m usually pretty confident and cool, but I ran around in there like it was the tie and 9-9. It really showed how much I wanted to win, says Truls Möregårdh to SVT Sport.
First Swede in the semi-finals in 16 years
No Swede has come this far since 2008 when Jörgen Persson reached the semi-finals in the Olympics. Möregårdh also takes revenge after the loss against Assar in the WC last year.
– It is definitely about time. Hope he does better than me, it would be fun to coach in a final, says Jörgen Persson, who is the Swedish national team captain, to SVT Sport.
Now Möregårdh, ranked 26th in the world, will face sixth-ranked Hugo Calderano, Brazil, in the semi-final, which will be played tomorrow at 2:30 p.m.
– At the WC you were happy in the semis, the Olympics are something completely different. I think Calderano is the one I have the best chance against. Super underdog there too, so it’s a very fun and good location, says Möregårdh.
“A positive thing for Truls”
Jörgen Persson believes that Möregårdh can at least have an advantage over the Brazilian.
– He has played in a WC final and Calderano has not. It’s a positive thing for Truls. He has been in these contexts, says Persson.
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See Truls Möregårdh’s interview after the Olympic quarter-finals: “Great with an overrun” Photo: SVT