The Swedish beach volleyball stars David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig showcased their exceptional form at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. In the final, they defeated the Germans Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler in just 36 minutes with a 2-0 (10:21, 13:21) victory, earning Sweden its first Olympic gold medal in beach volleyball.
The two 22-year-old standout talents continued their impressive streak after winning the European Championship title in Rome in 2022 and at the A1 CEV EuroBeachVolley 2023 in Vienna. With their Olympic victory, they now crown their still-young career.
Throughout the tournament, Ehlers and Wickler had dropped only two sets, but in the decisive match against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower, they felt the dominance of the young Swedish stars.
The bronze medal went to the Norwegian Tokyo Olympic champions Anders Mol and Christian Sørum. Although they were considered the main rivals of Åhman and Hellvig before the Olympics, they suffered a surprising defeat to Ehlers and Wickler in the semifinals. Shortly before, they had defeated them in a thrilling tie-break at the A1 Beach Pro Vienna, securing their place in the final, which they ultimately won. In the third-place match, the Vikings dominated the Qatari duo Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan with a decisive 2-0 (21:13, 21:16).
With the European Championships in the Netherlands this week, the next major competition is already on the horizon. It will be exciting to see who the new titleholders will be.
