When it comes down to it, the Swedish world number 1s have delivered their best beach volleyball. In the group stage, they hit two goals, including against Younousse and Tijan, but in the playoffs, it has been a completely different sharpness from Åhman/Hellvig.
And late on Thursday night, they took a mighty revenge on the Qatari pair – in a much more important match.
If there can be a game against a goal in beach volleyball, that’s exactly what unfolded below the illuminated Eiffel Tower in the first set.
21-13 it ended after a powerful display by the Swedish pair.
Reversed deficit in second
In the group stage, it was above all the service receiving that didn’t work, it was too passive, too cautious. And without it, the Swedish attacking game, which is usually so successful, will suffer greatly.
That problem was put away in the semi-finals.
In the second set, the Qataris did advance to a four-point lead, but Åhman/Hellvig refused to repeat the mistake from the group stage, when they lost the match against Younousse/Tijan despite 1–0 in the set.
Five won balls in a row, thanks to Hellvig’s superb blocks and Åhman’s sometimes incomprehensible saves, turned the set.
Powerful block decided
Barely 40 minutes into the match, Sweden had shaken up 20-17 and match point.
Qatar got a brilliant smash mode. One of the world’s best blockers, Jonathan Hellvig, stood in the way. And was able to celebrate a historic Swedish Olympic final together with partner David Åhman.
Germany’s Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler await there, an opposition that usually suits the Swedish pair extremely well.
Åhman/Hellvig have ten straight wins against the Germans, and have not lost against them in a year and a half.
At 22.30 on Saturday the final starts.