Tokyo 2021 Olympics: Aussie beach volleyball pair Mariafe Artacho del Solar, Taliqua Clancy pays tribute to pioneers Natalie Cook, Kerri Pottharst

Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy are two wins from a beach volleyball gold medal and the pair says two of the sport’s pioneers are their biggest cheerleaders.

Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy are on the cusp of securing Australia’s first Olympic gold medal in beach volleyball since 2000, so it was only fitting they paid tribute to the sport’s pioneers, Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst.

Still buzzing from their giant-killing quarter-final win over Canada’s world champions at Tokyo’s Shiokaze Park, they were all smiles knowing two more wins would deliver gold.

They had likened their quarter-final match to gold-medal standard and celebrated accordingly.

But, with the same class they showed to cement Thursday’s semi-final against Latvia’s only beach volleyball pairing on the world stage, Clancy said: “Nat and Kerri have been two of our biggest cheerleaders.

The ecstasy of victory is shown on the face of Mariafe Artacho del Solar as she celebrates with Taliqua Clancy. Picture: AFP

“They have been watching our journey and helping however they can. We wouldn’t be here without their great success.

“We’re just so grateful we can put Australia back into the Olympic semi-finals.”

The proud Wulli Wulli woman from Kingaroy, who paints her nails in Indigenous colours, is confident about their chances.

“Everyone’s so excited for us, we felt the love,” Artacho del Solar said. “We’re so grateful for all the love from home and from all around the world, really.”

Their Latvian opponents, Tina Graudina and Anastasija Kravcenoka, beat the fourth-seeded Brazilians Ana Patricia and Rebecca in the pool stage.

They then beat Russia’s Nadezda Makroguzova and Svetlana Kholomina in the round of 16. The Russians are the only team to have beaten Clancy and Artacho del Solar in this tournament.

Natalie Cook with Kerri-Anne Pottharst are beach volleyball pioneers.

The pair won gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

“The Latvian girls are playing really well,” Artacho del Solar del Solar said. “It’s going to be another really tough match.

“We’ve gone through a lot in the month to build to where we are now. We’re in a really good place – mentally, physically and emotionally.”

The Australians have been building during this Olympic campaign, improving their serving and defence.

Artacho del Solar said even the loss against Russia was an important game to help steady their Olympic campaign.

“As we walk out for the semi, I’m just going to be treating it as another game,’’ she said.

“I’ll try to stay really calm and composed and just trust all the work we have done.”

Clancy is confident.

“Latvia has beaten some of the top seeds,” she said.

The agony and the ecstasy as the Aussie knock off the world No.1. Picture: AFP

“It shows the teams that go out there and are the most aggressive are the ones that are getting the pay-off in the end.

“Mariafe and I are so committed to our team and just reinforcing that engagement we have. That hasn’t changed throughout the tournament.

“Our game style can beat anybody in the world … but we still have to bring that patience and team mentality.”

An embrace signifies a brilliant victory. Picture: AFP

EARLIER: Beach volleyball boilover: Aussie team’s secret weapons

The screams from the beach volleyball pairing of Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar said it all.

Shrugging off the serving yips and unforced errors, Australians Clancy and Artacho del Solar pushed aside the No. 1 seeds, Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes, and eased into the semi finals with a 21-15, 19-21, 15-12 win.

They are now just two wins away from an Olympic gold medal.

And if you saw the happy sarong dance from Clancy, Australia’s first Indigenous beach volleyballer, it was an important shout out to her family back home in Queensland.

“My cousin made the print on this so I take it everywhere, it’s to take family with me,” she aid.

The Canadians had yet to drop a set and in six-foot-five Sarah Pavan had one of the best defensive blockers at these Games.

But with Clancy dominating with her serve and Artacho del Solar pulling off deep defensive plays from the back-court, the Australians avenged their heartbreaking Commonwealth Games defeat on the Gold Coast sand against this pairing.

And at the same time announced they were peaking at the right time for these Games.

Artacho del Solar said: “It was unreal we have been working so hard for this moment, we knew it was going to be a gold-medal working match, we wanted to come out strong and stay aggressive.”

Clancy added: "It was tough to play Mel and Sarah so early in the tournament … but now we are looking forward to the semis.”

The Australians streaked through the first set before a second set wobble and stormed home in the third.

Tellingly, the Australian have found their serving range.

Clancy said: “These courts with the temperature and the humidity is such a serving game, there’s a lot of aces and amazing serves.

“We’re a great serving team, it’s one of our weapons – we’re happy that we were able to take another step forward and we just have to do it again.”

The Aussies couldn’t get past the Russians but make it to the next phase of the competition regardless. Picture: Getty Images

EARLIER: SHOCK LOSS CAN’T STOP AUSSIE ADVANCE

Even the gods weren’t happy as serving yips and cool Russian heads got the better of Australia’s Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy in their Olympic beach volleyball match at Shiokaze Park on Friday.

Under thundering skies, the pair lost in three sets 8-21, 21-15, 12-15 to Nadezda Makroguzova and Svetlana Kholomina but will still progress to the last 16 along with the Russian Olympic Committee.

It was the first defeat of the Games for the Australians who are widely expected to be part of the medal rounds.

While the DJ still played, the atmosphere at Shiokaze Park was as sterile as the wash used to clean volleyballs in between points.

It’s an energy that Artacho del Solar and Clancy usually feed off.

The fast starting Russians jumped out of the blocks to take the first set 8-21 before strong serving from Clancy and big defensive plays from the back court saw the Australians win the second 21-15.

Down 0-3 in the third, Clancy and Artacho del Solar lost control of the set to an organised Russian team to find themselves down 11-14. The Australians rallied to save two match points before the ninth seeded Russians closed out the match.

This was the team that Clancy and Artacho del Solar defeated en route to a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships.

Despite the loss, the Australians are refusing to panic and are safety thorough to the next round thanks to two earlier pool wins.

Artacho del Solar said: “We’ve given ourselves another chance to still be in tournament, we will dust ourselves off and turn the page and move forward.”

“We’re still focused on our goals … it’s a hiccup … this is where the tournament begins.”

Clancy added: “It’s still fresh. We’re not satisfied with that performance but we know our best is yet to come and we can’t wait to see who we match up against next.

“The Olympics re such a different beast and t will be interesting how everyone will hold their nerves as the tournament goes on. We don’t need to be perfect to beat teams, this is another step forward.”

Originally published as Tokyo 2021 Olympics: Aussie beach volleyball pair Mariafe Artacho del Solar, Taliqua Clancy pays tribute to pioneers Natalie Cook, Kerri Pottharst