- Silver joy is growing at Beach Duo: LA as new destination
The day after their crushing final defeat at the Olympics, German beach volleyballers Clemens Wickler and Nils Ehlers had found their humor again. Could the Hamburg duo now have their sights set on Los Angeles 2028? "We still need to sit down together after the season, take a look at what the other brings," Ehlers said on Eurosport, before clarifying: "We left a bit of room for improvement with the gold medal. So, we have a new goal in mind, I'd say."
They wanted to make the most of their last day in Paris, as much as their fatigue would allow. "We didn't sleep much last night, so we're a bit tired. But we're trying to enjoy it one last time," Wickler said.
Even as they walked through a corridor of family and friends in the Parisian night, their smiles briefly returned. Not far from the spectacular stadium near the Eiffel Tower, they and their hard-earned silver medal were celebrated in a restaurant. However, the pain of their final defeat at the Olympics was still lingering for the Hamburgers.
"We didn't find our game at all, unfortunately we played our worst game of the season in the final," Ehlers said immediately after the game, still visibly stunned. "With a bit of distance, we can be incredibly happy about second place, about the performances we showed in Paris," Wickler said on Sunday.
Their heads weren't in the game
With impressive performances, the Hamburgers had marched into the final in the French capital. However, they lost 0:2 (10:21, 13:21) against the young world number ones from Sweden, David Ahman/Jonatan Hellvig, with almost nothing working. "Maybe we wanted too much. Gold in sight and then completely blanked out," Wickler tried to explain.
He had felt the best he had all tournament during warm-up. "And then we go onto the field and everything is gone. Legs completely heavy. It was definitely something that happened mentally to us," the 29-year-old said.
Many German fans saw many service errors, misunderstandings, and other mistakes. The Swedes didn't even have to use their special jump serves often. They just had to play controlled and without many errors.
"That hurts incredibly because on stage, with all the attention, not finding your game and performing like that is very disappointing and knocks you down pretty hard," the 30-year-old Ehlers said.
Their goal was ambitious
Many supporters had traveled from home and taken long journeys. Seeing such a performance was very upsetting for Wickler. "But if I see how proud most of the German fans are of us, it helps me to be proud of our performance too," the 29-year-old said.
The goal they set for themselves when forming their team in 2022 was ambitious: a medal. That they ended up with silver is the greatest success of their career and quite surprising.
The next tournament is coming up quickly
The duo sees themselves still on the path to the top. Ehlers spoke of an extremely important learning experience. Wickler was determined: "If we ever get the chance to have a similar final again, we'll do better."
The Hamburgers don't have much time to celebrate their silver or dwell on the missed opportunity, though, thanks to the international tournament schedule. They start the European Championships in the Netherlands on Wednesday.
And eventually, the long-term goal of the Olympic Games in 2028 in the USA will also come into focus. "I can already tell you, Clemens, I don't know who else I'd want to play with. You're quite a cool guy. So if you're up for it, maybe we'll play together for the next few years," Ehlers said. "I'll think about it. No, just kidding," the 29-year-old replied.
Despite their heartbreaking loss at the Olympic Games, Clemens Wickler and Nils Ehlers expressed their ambition to compete in Los Angeles 2028, stating, "We still need to sit down together after the season, take a look at what the other brings, and perhaps we have a new goal in mind."
The crushing defeat at the Olympic Games still weighed heavily on the minds of the Hamburg duo, as they prepared for their next tournament, remarking, "We start the European Championships in the Netherlands on Wednesday. And eventually, the long-term goal of the Olympic Games in 2028 in the USA will also come into focus."
