Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan Fall Short in Paris Olympic Beach Volleyball Semifinals

Qatar’s dynamic beach volleyball duo, Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, faced a tough defeat in the semifinals of the Paris Olympic Games, losing to Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig in straight sets, 13-21, 17-21, on Thursday. The 13th-seeded Qatari pair, who won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, will now compete for another bronze medal against Norway’s defending champions, Anders Mol and Christian Sorum, on Friday at 9 p.m.

Ahman and Hellvig, currently ranked as the world’s number one team, delivered a dominant performance to secure Sweden’s first-ever Olympic medal in beach volleyball, handing Younousse and Tijan their first loss in six matches in Paris.

The Swedish pair started strong, with Ahman leading the attack and Hellvig contributing with crucial blocks, as they secured an emphatic first set win. Despite the one-sided nature of the first set, Younousse and Tijan mounted a spirited comeback in the second set, scoring five consecutive points to take an early 8-4 lead.

However, the Swedish duo quickly responded, going on a five-point run of their own to regain control of the match. Although the Qatari team managed to level the score at 13-13, Ahman and Hellvig surged ahead once again, closing out the set and the match with a 21-17 victory, capped off by a powerful block from Hellvig.

Hellvig finished the match with five blocks and an ace, contributing to a match-high 16 points. Ahman added 14 kills, while Younousse and Tijan each scored 12 points.

Reflecting on the match, Ahman said, “I think we had a really good match. We played really solid in our sideout, believed in our game, and went for it every chance we had. It was really strong to come back from being down in the second set and to win in straight sets.”

Hellvig added, “I can’t really believe it, but we’re in the final. It will take some time to realize that we made it. If someone had told us a few years ago that we would be in a final, I don’t think anyone would have believed it. We have done it. It has been an incredible journey over the last few years, and now we’re super proud that we made it to the final.”

Earlier in the day, Norway’s Mol and Sorum were upset by Germany’s Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler in the first semifinal. The German pair won a thrilling match, 13-21, 21-17, 15-13, with Ehlers using his height advantage to great effect. The victory sparked jubilant celebrations from the German team and their fans, setting up an eagerly anticipated gold medal match against the Swedes.