Swedish Beach Volleyball Duo Advances to EM Round of 16 Despite Setback

Sweden's reigning Olympic and World champions in beach volleyball, David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig, have advanced to the round of 16 at the 2026 European Championship in Stare Jablonki, Poland. The duo secured their spot with a solid 2-0 victory over the Czech team of Ondrej Perusic and Matyas Dzavoronok, demonstrating their high-level play on the continental stage.

However, they faced a tough challenge in a recent match against the Swiss pair Friedi/Jordan, where they lost in straight sets of 21-19 and 21-18. During this defeat, Hellvig suffered a scare after hitting his right shoulder awkwardly but later confirmed he only lost his breath and was not seriously injured. Following the loss, Åhman expressed disappointment, highlighting the need for improvement: "It feels like we had a lot of unlucky moments with the balls we managed to get up."

Despite the setback, the Swedish duo remains determined to recover as they continue their European Championship campaign forward. Meanwhile, the other Swedish team, Hölting Nilsson/Andersson, secured a win and also progressed to the round of 16. The championship runs from August 12 to 16, featuring Europe's top beach volleyball talent.