It was a perfect finale to Sweden's Olympic Games adventure 2024, a final highlight for the Summer Games as a whole, indeed.
On the arena that so many have lifted up as the Olympic Games' most intense, in the scorching sand cauldron below the illuminated Eiffel Tower, Jonatan Hellvig and David Åhman outmaneuvered Germany's Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler in notes.
It will take some time to digest what we have done. We just play on and everything goes our way, says Hellvig to Max.
Sweden's fourth gold in Paris was in the bag after 34 minutes. 2–0 in sets, 21–10, 21–13, was a mighty display by the blue and yellow world stars as Saturday approached Sunday in the French capital.
Fantastic! It's completely insane. We're enjoying every second, says Åhman to Max.
Revolutionized the sport
And what a journey they have made, the Swedish beach volleyball players. A few years ago, no one suspected that Sweden would soon dominate the sport on the men's side.
But in the background, two young men, Jonatan Hellvig and David Åhman, were perfecting a new way of playing, a tactic that would come to revolutionize the entire beach volleyball.
With the "Swedish jump set" – where opponents don't know if the Swedes will decide on the second or third hit – they initially shocked their rivals. But even after the other teams learned the playing style, the Swedes continued to be the best.
After two straight European Championship golds and complete dominance on the world tour in the past six months, they took home on Sunday what stood highest on the wish list: the Olympic gold.
We have dreamed about this for so long and worked to get here, said David Åhman before the final.
Tough start to the Olympic Games
The Olympic Games in Paris have had their own timeline. Åhman and Hellvig came to France with 17 straight wins in their backs, and started with another one. Then came two unexpected losses and suddenly many wondered if the Olympic Games had gotten to the heads of the 22-year-olds.
Not at all. When it finally burned, the Swedes sent out three previously unbeaten teams: Cuba's Diaz/Alayo in the round of 16, Brazil's Oliveira/Lanci in the quarterfinals, and Qatar's Younousse/Tijan, who defeated Åhman/Hellvig in the group stage, in the semifinals.
The final opponents Ehlers and Wickler had until the Olympic final only managed to defeat the Swedish duo once in thirteen matches.
It will take at least a few days until they get their next chance.
On Tuesday, the European Championship in the Netherlands begins.
You're on another planet. It's so insane to think that we have taken Olympic gold for Sweden in beach volleyball. That there are so many Swedes here, that so many have watched. Thanks to everyone, says Åhman.
