The quarterfinals for men’s beach volleyball finally came to a close on August 7th. Team USA didn’t have the best of fortune at the game and was counting on Miles Partain and Andrew Benesh to pull through and secure at least one medal in that particular event. However, two Qataris dominated the sand court, crushing Americans’ dreams in the process.

Both Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan did an incredible job representing Qatar and giving out the message to sports fans across the world that they have been putting their backs into the training and won’t let anyone come in between.

Paris Olympics witnessed new potential champions

Before this men’s quarterfinal match, female American athletes Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes were also eliminated. So, all hopes and desires for the United States to secure a medal in beach volleyball were dependent on Partain and Benesh. The two stars didn’t have prior Olympic experience together, making their victory chance slightly doubtful.

It appears that Team Qatar got the best of them during the evening game on August 7th, with scores of 21-14 and 21-16. The match didn’t even require a third set because the American players weren’t able to come even close to their score.

Supporters of Team USA need not feel upset after this loss as the Stars and Stripes are leading the scoreboard as of now. No country is as close on the medal table as the United States. Even though the beach volleyball defeat must have been disappointing to witness, the global sports event is still young and the athletes will receive more opportunities.

Will the Qatari beach volleyball players continue to dominate the Paris Olympics?

As per the regular rules, after clearing the QF, we will get to see the duo in the semifinals. They have been slated to compete against Team Sweden. Considering how they have already secured a spot in the semis, the Swedish athletes may be a force to reckon with but we are yet to see how fierce they can be in front of Tijan and Younousse. The latter two really displayed their prowess and unwavering grip on the sport. Despite the fact that they deprived Team USA of a shot at a potential medal, fans must still respect them for the match that they put on during their time on the opposite side of the net.

The two Qataris will be continuing their dominance at the Paris Olympics during the semifinals on August 8. If all goes well, fans of the sport can expect one out of the three big medals to go to the Gulf nation. It won’t put Qatar directly in competition with the USA, given the vast gap between the medals that they have conquered but it can definitely put Ahmed Tijan and Cherif Younousse on the radar. Ultimately, this will only tease the beach volleyball fans further, making them wait for their next appearance.

Don’t forget to comment your thoughts below about this impactful duo.