After a superb Olympics, Australian formation volleyball brace Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Del Solar person fallen conscionable abbreviated of a golden medal, going down to a rampant USA successful a one-sided final.
Powerful Americans April Ross and Alix Klineman were unstoppable, uncovering an aboriginal borderline acknowledgment to the unthinkable serving of Ross and maintaining it passim for a consecutive sets 21-15 21-16 victory.
OLYMPICS BLOG: UPDATES, LATEST NEWS | TOKYO GAMES EVENT CENTRE: SCHEDULE, RESULTS, MEDAL TALLY
The Aussies looked retired of sorts from the beginning, with the opening acceptable plagued by unforced errors, and contempt rallying bravely precocious successful the 2nd acceptable to adjacent the gap, they ne'er looked similar turning the momentum capable to alteration the result.
It was a bitterly disappointing mode for a memorable tourney to decorativeness for Clancy, 29, and Del Solar, 27, who were bullish astir their chances of gold, and had a flimsy borderline against the American pairing successful their astir caller head-to-head encounters.
Both Clancy and Del Solar admitted the effect was inactive "stinging" arsenic they attempted to process what they'd conscionable achieved moments aft the medal presentation.
"We knew we were going to beryllium up for a conflict and just, you know, we did our champion and we stuck successful determination and we had a truly bully combat astatine the end," Clancy said.
"So arrogant of what we were capable to achieve, it's decidedly not the colour that we wanted, but I deliberation aft it stops stinging we'll truly admit this infinitesimal more."
Del Solar and Clancy archetypal paired up astatine the commencement of this Olympic rhythm and admitted it had been a rocky roadworthy establishing themselves done idiosyncratic adversity and 12 months interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It wasn't an casual creaseless roadworthy to get present and we played truly bully volleyball passim the Games," Del Solar said.
"It's shown that from the commencement until present however acold our squad has come, truthful having an Olympic medal astir our necks is conscionable truthful special."
Emotion got the amended of Clancy arsenic she added: "Four years isn't that long, and lone truly 4 years due to the fact that we've had a COVID twelvemonth successful betwixt that, truthful it's truly really peculiar and it truly stings close present but honestly I could not beryllium immoderate prouder of Mariafe, it's been a pugnacious thrust getting to this spot but truthful grateful she's stayed beside maine and conscionable truthful arrogant of what we were capable to execute today."
The communal attraction and affection for 1 different was clear, with Del Solar struggling to reply erstwhile she was asked astir her enslaved with Clancy.
"Don't marque america outcry again. It's decidedly a precise peculiar and unsocial enslaved we person and it's precise hard to enactment into words it's not idiosyncratic you conscionable person with anyone truthful we're ace grateful and I wouldn't privation to bash this travel with anyone else."
For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here
English (US) ·