Crushed Germany • Sweden’s first ever Olympic medal in beach volleyball
It was a perfect highlight of Sweden’s Olympic adventure in 2024, a final highlight for the summer games as a whole, indeed.
In the arena that so many lifted up as the Olympics’ fiercest, in the boiling cauldron of sand below an illuminated Eiffel Tower, Jonatan Hellvig and David Åhman knocked out Germany’s Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler for notes.
Sweden’s fourth gold in Paris was won in 34 minutes. 2-0 in the set, 21-10, 21-13, was a powerful display by the blue and yellow world No. 1s as Saturday began to approach Sunday in the French capital.
Revolutionized the sport
And what a journey they have had, the Swedish beach volleyball guys. A few years ago, no one had any idea that Sweden would soon dominate the sport on the men’s side.
But in the background, two youngsters, Jonatan Hellvig and David Åhman, were perfecting a new way of playing, a tactic that would revolutionize the whole of beach volleyball.
With the “Swedish jump set” – where the opponents do not know whether the Swedes will decide on the second or third stroke – they initially shocked their rivals. But even after the other teams learned the game, the Swedes have continued to be the best.
After two consecutive European Championship golds and a complete dominance on the world tour in the last six months, on Sunday they took home what was at the very top of their wish list: the Olympic gold.
We have dreamed of this for so long and worked to get here, said David Åhman before the final.
Tough start to the Olympics
The Paris Olympics have had their own timeline. Åhman and Hellvig came to France with 17 straight victories behind them, and started with another one. Then came two unexpected losses and suddenly many wondered if this Olympic thing was still in the minds of the 22-year-olds.
Not then. When things got hot, the Swedes sent out three previously undefeated teams: Cuba’s Diaz/Alayo in the round of 16, Brazil’s Oliveira/Lanci in the quarter and Qatar’s Younousse/Tijan, who defeated Åhman/Hellvig in the group stage, in the semi-finals.
Final opponents Ehlers and Wickler had only managed to defeat the Swedish duo once in thirteen matches until the Olympic final.
It will be at least a few days before they get their next chance.
On Tuesday, the EC starts in the Netherlands.
Jonatan Hellvig and David Åhman
Jonatan Hellvig and David Åhman