Norwegian pair win bronze in men's Olympic beach volleyball / Photo: CARL DE SOUZA - AFP
Norwegian pair win bronze in men's Olympic beach volleyball
Tokyo 2020 gold medallists Anders Berntsen Mol and Christian Sandlie Soerum of Norway won bronze in the men's beach volleyball in Paris on Saturday, breezing to victory in two short, straight sets.
The sun was setting over a clear Paris sky as the teams battled on the sand for the final day at the spectacular venue, where thousands of enthusiastic spectators have flocked over two weeks to snap selfies in front of the Eiffel Tower.
The Norwegian pair coolly triumphed over Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan of Qatar, bronze medallists in Tokyo, in just over half an hour, winning 21/13, 21/16.
The Qataris had won fans in Paris for their style of play and interaction with the crowd, but they didn't find their groove on Saturday despite some brave play, including one valiant dive that left Younousse face down in the sand.
They rallied at the end of the second set to deny the winning match point twice, but not enough to stop Norway claiming their win.
Later Saturday world number one, Swedish duo David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig will face third-ranked Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler of Germany in the gold medal match.
For the women's final on Friday night, "I love Paris" had been drawn across the sand; for the men's final a large Eiffel Tower had been sketched across the court with acrobats and dancers entertaining crowds.
Beach volleyball has become one of the most popular events at the Olympics since its inclusion in 1996.
But the sport has drawn particular attention in Paris both for its spectacular location, and for the controversy surrounding Dutch player Steven van de Velde, a convicted rapist who was controversially selected for the Olympics despite his criminal past.
M.Schulz--MP
