In a historic moment for Swedish sports, David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig clinched the gold medal in beach volleyball at the Paris 2024 Olympics, marking Sweden’s first-ever Olympic triumph in this event. The young Swedish duo, both 22 years old, showcased their dominance by defeating Germany’s Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler in a one-sided final with a score of 21-10, 21-13 in just 34 minutes.The victory solidifies Ahman and Hellvig’s status as the world’s top-ranked team. Their unique jump-set second-contact offense proved too much for their opponents, leaving the German team struggling to find answers. Clemens Wickler of Germany admitted, ‘They’re the best team in the world. It was a horrible match for us…. Before the match I felt amazing, I really can’t say what happened right now’.In the bronze medal match, Norway’s Anders Mol and Christian Sorum, the defending champions from Tokyo, secured third place by defeating Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan with a score of 21-13, 21-16.The Swedish victory marks a significant milestone in the country’s Olympic history. ‘It’s completely crazy,’ said Swedish commentator Erik Liljestrand, highlighting the unexpected nature of their triumph. This gold medal contributes to Sweden’s best performance at the Summer Olympics in 24 years, echoing their success at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.For the German duo, despite the disappointment of missing out on gold, the silver medal represents their greatest career achievement to date. Their journey to the final included notable victories against top teams, including the 2021 Olympic champions from Norway.As the beach volleyball event concludes, attention now turns to the upcoming European Championship in the Netherlands, where both the Swedish and German teams will compete, potentially setting the stage for a rematch.
Key points
- Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig won their country’s first-ever Olympic gold in beach volleyball.
- The Swedish duo dominated the final, defeating Germany’s team 21-10, 21-13 in just 34 minutes.
- Norway secured the bronze medal, defeating Qatar in the third-place match.
- This victory contributes to Sweden’s best Olympic performance in 24 years.
