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Beach Volleyball, Men

Date24 July – 7 August 2021
StatusOlympic
LocationShiokaze Park Stadium, 1 Higashiyashio, Shinagawa City, Tokyo 135-0092, Japan
Participants48 from 19 countries
FormatTop 16 teams from round-robin pools advanced to the single-elimination tournament.

At the 2019 FIVB World Championships neither Brazil nor the USA won a men’s medal, with the Europeans dominating and Russia, Germany and Norway taking the medals. The number one ranked Norwegians Anders Mol and Christian Sørum emerged as real challengers since Rio, and they had been playing together since 2016. They won bronze at the 2019 FIVB World Championships in Hamburg. The Brazilians should never be written off in the Olympic beach volleyball tournament, however, and with Alison playing in his third Olympics at the age of 35, there was every chance he would win his third consecutive medal. Alison and Álvaro Morais Filho were ranked No. 4 in the world going into the Games.

Other favourites in the men’s competition were the Qatar duo of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan and the reigning ROC world champions Vyacheslav Krasilnikov and Oleg Stoyanovsky, ranked Nos. 3 and 2 respectively by the FIVB. The United States’ best chance was with Tri Bourne and Jake Gibb. Bourne came in as a replacement for Taylor Crabb, who tested positive for COVID-19

Ondřej Perušič and David Schweiner of the Czech Republic forfeited their opening match against Latvia because Perušič had earlier tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, the Latvians were awarded the match 2-0. All the leading ranked teams qualified out of their pools and into the knockout stage, but the top two FIVB Olympic ranked teams, Norway (Mol and Sørum) and ROC (Krasilnikov and Oleg Stoyanovsky), both finished second in their respective pools.

The knockout stage got under way with the third ranked Cherif and Ahmed beating the Americans Nick Lucena and Phil Dalhausser, winning the deciding set 15-11. For the two 41-year-old Americans, it pulled down the curtain on their long international careers. The stand-out game of the round of 16 was between the number one pair Mol and Sørum and another fancied pairing of Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen of the Netherlands, ranked six on the FIVB Olympic list. The favourites ran out winners in two sets, however, 21-17, 21-19.

The 2016 silver medallists Nicola and Lupo reached the last eight by disposing of the fifth ranked Poles Michał Bryl and Grzegorz Fijałek in two sets, while the reigning world champions Krasilnikov and Stoyanovsky went through to the quarter-finals with a straight-sets win, while the fancied Brazilians Alison and Álvaro also qualified with ease. The Americans Gibb and Borne took the first set against the number eight ranked Germans Julius Thole and Clemens Wickler, but the Europeans came back to take the second set and then win the third 15-11.

All four quarter-finals were decided in straight sets and the top three teams on the FIVB Olympic ranking list made it to the final four, the exception being the 18th ranked Latvians Mārtiņš Pļaviņš and Edgars Točs, who beat Alison and Álvaro 21-16, 21-19, while Krasilnikov and Stoyanovsky of the ROC beat the Germans Thole and Wickler by the same score. Mol and Sørum had no problems in reaching the last four, but for the Italians their medal hope disappeared with defeat by the talented Qataris Cherif and Ahmed, who won 21-17, 23-21.

The top ranked Norwegians had no difficulty in reaching the final with a 21-15, 21-16 win in the semi-final over Pļaviņš and Točs, while the reigning world champions, and No. 2 ranked, Krasilnikov and Stoyanovsky beat Cherif and Ahmed 21-19, 21-17. Cherif and Ahmed were too good for Latvia’s Pļaviņš and Točs in the bronze medal match, winning 21-12, 21-18, capturing Qatar’s first ever beach volleyball medal and depriving Mārtiņš Pļaviņš the chance to win another bronze medal to go with the one he won in 2012 with Jānis Šmēdiņš.

The final between Norway and ROC was contested by two nations who had never won an Olympic beach volleyball medal of any colour and the honour of winning the gold medal went to the Norwegians Mol and Sørum, who improved on the bronze medal they won at the 2019 World Championships. Both finalists had lost one of their pool matches but, since reaching the knockout stage, had reached the final without dropping a set. Played on a damp and dull day, the Norwegians won a thrilling game, winning 21-17, 21-18, despite being behind at some stage in both sets.

PosCompetitorsNOC
1NorwayNORGold
Right BlockerAnders Mol
Left DefenderChristian Sørum
2ROC 2ROCSilver
Left DefenderVyacheslav Krasilnikov
Right BlockerOleg Stoyanovsky
3QatarQATBronze
Right BlockerCherif Younousse
Left DefenderAhmed Tijan
4LatviaLAT
Right DefenderMārtiņš Pļaviņš
Left BlockerEdgars Točs
=5ROC 1ROC
Left DefenderIlya Leshukov
Right BlockerKonstantin Semyonov
=5Brazil 1BRA
Left BlockerAlison Cerutti
Right DefenderÁlvaro Filho
=5GermanyGER
Right BlockerJulius Thole
Left DefenderClemens Wickler
=5Italy 2ITA
Left BlockerPaolo Nicolai
Right DefenderDaniele Lupo
=9United States 2USA
Right DefenderNick Lucena
Left BlockerPhil Dalhausser
=9NetherlandsNED
Left DefenderAlexander Brouwer
Right BlockerRobert Meeuwsen
=9Brazil 2BRA
Right Defender Evandro
Left BlockerBruno Schmidt
=9ChileCHI
Right BlockerMarco Grimalt
Left DefenderEsteban Grimalt
=9Poland 1POL
Left BlockerMichał Bryl
Right DefenderGrzegorz Fijałek
=9SpainESP
Blocker/DefenderPablo Herrera
Blocker/DefenderAdrián Gavira
=9MexicoMEX
Right DefenderJosué Gaxiola
Left BlockerJosé Luis Rubio
=9United States 1USA
Right BlockerJake Gibb
Left DefenderTri Bourne
=17Poland 2POL
Left BlockerPiotr Kantor
Right DefenderBartosz Łosiak
=17SwitzerlandSUI
Left BlockerAdrian Heidrich
Right DefenderMirco Gerson
=19AustraliaAUS
Left BlockerChris McHugh
Right DefenderDamien Schumann
=19Czech RepublicCZE
Right DefenderOndřej Perušič
Left BlockerDavid Schweiner
=19Italy 1ITA
Right DefenderAdrian Carambula
Left BlockerEnrico Rossi
=19ArgentinaARG
Left DefenderJulián Azaad
Right BlockerNicolás Capogrosso
=19MoroccoMAR
Right DefenderMohamed Abicha
Left BlockerZouheir El-Graoui
=19JapanJPN
Left BlockerYusuke Ishijima
Right DefenderKatsuhiro Shiratori

Preliminary Round

Date24 – 31 July 2021
FormatWinners and runners-up in each group advanced to round one, along with the highest ranked third-placed teams.

Group A

Date24 – 28 July 2021
PosPairNOCGPWinsLossesPointsSetsSet RatioPointsPoints Ratio
1Ilya Leshukov / Konstantin SemyonovROC33066-0MAX127-1071.187Q
2Anders Mol / Christian SørumNOR32154-31.333137-1331.030Q
3Pablo Herrera / Adrián GaviraESP31242-40.500120-1201.000q
4Chris McHugh / Damien SchumannAUS30331-60.167114-1380.826
MatchDate/TimePairNOCResultPairNOC
Match #124 Jul 16:00Leshukov / SemyonovROC21-19, 22-20Herrera / GaviraESP
Match #224 Jul 22:00Mol / SørumNOR21-18, 18-21, 15-13McHugh / SchumannAUS
Match #326 Jul 15:00Leshukov / SemyonovROC21-14, 21-16McHugh / SchumannAUS
Match #426 Jul 22:00Mol / SørumNOR21-17, 24-22Gavira / HerreraESP
Match #528 Jul 17:00Gavira / HerreraESP21-16, 21-16McHugh / SchumannAUS
Match #628 Jul 22:00Leshukov / SemyonovROC21-19, 21-19Mol / SørumNOR

Group B

Date25 – 31 July 2021
PosPairNOCGPWinsLossesPointsSetsSet RatioPointsPoints Ratio
1Vyacheslav Krasilnikov / Oleg StoyanovskyROC32155-41.250169-1481.142Q
2Mārtiņš Pļaviņš / Edgars TočsLAT32154-31.33383-930.892Q
3Josué Gaxiola / José Luis RubioMEX31244-41.000150-1510.993q
4Ondřej Perušič / David SchweinerCZE31243-50.60096-1480.649
MatchDate/TimePairNOCResultPairNOC
Match #125 Jul 10:00Krasilnikov / StoyanovskyROC24-26, 21-15, 18-16Gaxiola / RubioMEX
Match #226 Jul 17:00Pļaviņš / TočsLAT21-0, 21-0Perušič / SchweinerCZE
Match #329 Jul 16:00Perušič / SchweinerCZE17-21, 21-16, 16-14Gaxiola / RubioMEX
Match #429 Jul 17:00Pļaviņš / TočsLAT13-21, 21-19, 15-11Krasilnikov / StoyanovskyROC
Match #531 Jul 15:00Gaxiola / RubioMEX21-18, 21-16Pļaviņš / TočsLAT
Match #631 Jul 16:00Krasilnikov / StoyanovskyROC19-21, 21-13, 15-8Perušič / SchweinerCZE

Group C

Date25 – 30 July 2021
PosPairNOCGPWinsLossesPointsSetsSet RatioPointsPoints Ratio
1Cherif Younousse / Ahmed TijanQAT33066-0MAX129-1031.252Q
2Jake Gibb / Tri BourneUSA32154-22.000121-1191.017Q
3Adrian Heidrich / Mirco GersonSUI31242-50.400133-1390.957q
4Adrian Carambula / Enrico RossiITA30331-60.167125-1470.850
MatchDate/TimePairNOCResultPairNOC
Match #125 Jul 17:00Younousse / TijanQAT21-17, 21-16Heidrich / GersonSUI
Match #225 Jul 22:00Gibb / BourneUSA21-18, 21-19Carambula / RossiITA
Match #327 Jul 9:00Gibb / BourneUSA21-19, 23-21Heidrich / GersonSUI
Match #428 Jul 20:00Younousse / TijanQAT24-22, 21-13Carambula / RossiITA
Match #529 Jul 10:00Heidrich / GersonSUI21-14, 24-26, 15-13Carambula / RossiITA
Match #630 Jul 22:00Younousse / TijanQAT21-18, 21-17Gibb / BourneUSA

Group D

Date24 – 29 July 2021
PosPairNOCGPWinsLossesPointsSetsSet RatioPointsPoints Ratio
1Alison Cerutti / Álvaro FilhoBRA32155-22.500143-1271.126Q
2Alexander Brouwer / Robert MeeuwsenNED32154-22.000120-1081.111Q
3Nick Lucena / Phil DalhausserUSA32154-41.000147-1441.021q
4Julián Azaad / Nicolás CapogrossoARG30331-60.167107-1380.775
MatchDate/TimePairNOCResultPairNOC
Match #124 Jul 10:00Cerutti / FilhoBRA21-16, 21-17Azaad / CapogrossoARG
Match #224 Jul 21:00Brouwer / MeeuwsenNED21-17, 21-18Lucena / DalhausserUSA
Match #326 Jul 12:00Lucena / DalhausserUSA24-22, 19-21, 15-13Cerutti / FilhoBRA
Match #427 Jul 21:00Brouwer / MeeuwsenNED21-14, 21-14Azaad / CapogrossoARG
Match #528 Jul 11:00Lucena / DalhausserUSA21-19, 18-21, 15-6Azaad / CapogrossoARG
Match #629 Jul 22:00Cerutti / FilhoBRA21-14, 24-22Brouwer / MeeuwsenNED

Group E

Date24 – 30 July 2021
PosPairNOCGPWinsLossesPointsSetsSet RatioPointsPoints Ratio
1 Evandro / Bruno SchmidtBRA33066-23.000151-1281.180Q
2Michał Bryl / Grzegorz FijałekPOL32155-22.500134-1201.117Q
3Marco Grimalt / Esteban GrimaltCHI31243-40.750125-1201.042q
4Mohamed Abicha / Zouheir El-GraouiMAR30330-60.00084-1260.667
MatchDate/TimePairNOCResultPairNOC
Match #124 Jul 11:00Evandro / SchmidtBRA21-15, 16-21, 15-12Grimalt / GrimaltCHI
Match #225 Jul 16:00Bryl / FijałekPOL21-17, 21-11Abicha / El-GraouiMAR
Match #327 Jul 15:00Evandro / SchmidtBRA21-14, 21-16Abicha / El-GraouiMAR
Match #427 Jul 17:00Bryl / FijałekPOL21-17, 21-18Grimalt / GrimaltCHI
Match #529 Jul 11:00Grimalt / GrimaltCHI21-14, 21-12Abicha / El-GraouiMAR
Match #630 Jul 21:00Evandro / SchmidtBRA19-21, 21-14, 17-15Bryl / FijałekPOL

Group F

Date24 – 30 July 2021
PosPairNOCGPWinsLossesPointsSetsSet RatioPointsPoints Ratio
1Paolo Nicolai / Daniele LupoITA33066-23.000150-1381.087Q
2Julius Thole / Clemens WicklerGER32155-22.500138-1181.169Q
3Piotr Kantor / Bartosz ŁosiakPOL31243-40.750128-1251.024q
4Yusuke Ishijima / Katsuhiro ShiratoriJPN30330-60.00091-1260.722
MatchDate/TimePairNOCResultPairNOC
Match #124 Jul 10:00Kantor / ŁosiakPOL21-15, 21-14Ishijima / ShiratoriJPN
Match #225 Jul 20:00Nicolai / LupoITA19-21, 21-19, 15-13Thole / WicklerGER
Match #326 Jul 10:00Nicolai / LupoITA21-19, 21-16Ishijima / ShiratoriJPN
Match #427 Jul 20:00Thole / WicklerGER22-20, 21-16Kantor / ŁosiakPOL
Match #530 Jul 11:00Nicolai / LupoITA21-19, 17-21, 15-10Kantor / ŁosiakPOL
Match #630 Jul 16:00Thole / WicklerGER21-16, 21-11Ishijima / ShiratoriJPN

Lucky Loser Round

Date31 July 2021
FormatContested by third-place finishers in groups who did not advance automatically Winners of each match advanced to round one.
MatchDate/TimePairNOCResultPairNOC
Match #131 Jul 21:00Herrera / GaviraESP31-29, 19-21, 15-7Kantor / ŁosiakPOL
Match #231 Jul 22:00Grimalt / GrimaltCHI21-17, 21-18Heidrich / GersonSUI

Round One

Date1 – 2 August 2021
FormatWinners of each match advanced to the quarter-finals.
MatchDate/TimePairNOCResultPairNOC
Match #101 Aug 13:00Younousse / TijanQAT14-21, 21-19, 15-11Lucena / DalhausserUSA
Match #201 Aug 22:00Mol / SørumNOR21-17, 21-19Brouwer / MeeuwsenNED
Match #302 Aug 13:00Pļaviņš / TočsLAT21-19, 21-18Evandro / SchmidtBRA
Match #402 Aug 14:00Leshukov / SemyonovROC21-16, 21-16Grimalt / GrimaltCHI
Match #502 Aug 17:00Nicolai / LupoITA22-20, 21-18Bryl / FijałekPOL
Match #602 Aug 18:00Krasilnikov / StoyanovskyROC22-20, 21-17Herrera / GaviraESP
Match #702 Aug 21:00Cerutti / FilhoBRA21-14, 21-13Gaxiola / RubioMEX
Match #802 Aug 22:00Thole / WicklerGER17-21, 21-15, 15-11Gibb / BourneUSA

Quarter-Finals

Date4 August 2021
FormatWinners of each match advanced to the semi-finals.
MatchDate/TimePairNOCResultPairNOC
Match #104 Aug 9:00Mol / SørumNOR21-17, 21-19Leshukov / SemyonovROC
Match #204 Aug 10:00Pļaviņš / TočsLAT21-16, 21-19Cerutti / FilhoBRA
Match #304 Aug 21:00Krasilnikov / StoyanovskyROC21-16, 21-19Thole / WicklerGER
Match #404 Aug 22:00Younousse / TijanQAT21-17, 23-21Nicolai / LupoITA

Semi-Finals

Date5 August 2021
FormatWinners of each match advanced to the final match.
MatchDate/TimePairNOCResultPairNOC
Match #105 Aug 21:00Mol / SørumNOR21-15, 21-16Pļaviņš / TočsLAT
Match #205 Aug 22:00Krasilnikov / StoyanovskyROC21-19, 21-17Younousse / TijanQAT

Final Round

Date7 August 2021
MatchDate/TimePairNOCResultPairNOC
Match 1/207 Aug 10:00Mol / SørumNOR21-17, 21-18Krasilnikov / StoyanovskyROC
Match 3/407 Aug 11:30Younousse / TijanQAT21-12, 21-18Pļaviņš / TočsLAT