Australia’s Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy will play for the women’s beach volleyball Olympic gold medal after beating Latvia in their semi-final.
The pair had upset the Canadian world No.1 pair to reach the final four in Tokyo and backed it up with a controlled 23-21 21-13 defeat of Tina Graudina and Anastasija Kravcenoka on Thursday.
Set to play Americans April Ross and Alix Klineman in the final, the Australians are assured the country’s second Olympic medal in the sport after Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst’s famous Sydney 2000 gold.
“Nat’s kept in touch with us and we know Kerri has been building us up over the commentary,” Clancy told Channel Seven after the win.
“They’re just so great; one of our biggest cheerleaders and they saw that fire and ability and gold in us, so we’re just so grateful for their time.”
Kingaroy talent Clancy – Australia’s first indigenous beach volleyball Olympian – and Peru-born Artacho del Solar started well, leading 17-13 before the Latvians called a time-out and then won four straight points to level the first set.
Tensions were rising but Clancy stopped the rot with a devastating spike winner off the second shot, del Solar then holding her nerve on serve to clinch the advantage with their third set point.
The Latvians had won their previous clash with the Aussies and didn’t go away, jumping to a three-point lead to begin the second set.
But Australia called a time-out and dominated after the resumption of play, Clancy’s big serve firing as they levelled at 10-10 to seemingly break the Latvian defence.
“Nerves are normal, but you try to turn them into positive fire, excitement, aggression,” Artacho del Solar said.
“Gold, baby. We came here for gold, it’s going to be a good game.”
The US are assured of a beach volleyball medal for the seventh straight Summer Games. That’s every one of them since the sport was added to the program in Atlanta in 1996.
Only Brazil had achieved the same success — until now. It has been shut out in Tokyo for the first time, with none of its teams reaching the semi-finals.
It will be the third medal for Ross, who won silver in London and bronze in Rio de Janeiro. Klineman is a first-time Olympian.
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