Day 2 of the World Mixed Doubles Olympic Qualification saw Sweden’s pair, Kristian Karlsson & Christina Kallberg and the Spanish pair, Alvaro Robles & Maria Xiao secure their spots for Paris 2024.
On day two of the qualification event, Alvaro Robles and Maria Xiao, the top seeds, rebounded emphatically from their day one setback. They showcased their prowess with a commanding 4-2 victory over Vladislav Ursu & Alexandra Chiriacova from Moldova, followed by a convincing 4-1 win against Poland’s Samuel Kulczycki & Zuzanna Wielgos. The highlight of their event came in a thrilling seven-game battle against Romania’s Ovidiu Ionescu & Bernadette Szocs, where they emerged victorious, securing their coveted spots for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, despite facing defeat on day one, Kristan Karlsson and Christina Kallberg demonstrated unwavering determination to secure their tickets to Paris. Day two witnessed their remarkable comeback as they dominated their matches. They started strong with a commanding 4-1 victory over Thailand’s Phakpoom Sanguansin and Orawan Paranang, followed by a convincing win against Singapore’s Clarence Chew and Zeng Jian. They then produced a spectacular 4-0 triumph over Slovakia’s Lubomir Pistej and Barbora Balazova, showcasing their undeniable talent and securing their places in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
They join Hong Kong, China’s Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong, who emerged victorious in their respective knockout brackets to secure their ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on day 1 in Havirov, Czechia.
In knockout bracket one, on their journey to the coveted spot, the dynamic pairing of Ri and Kim combined to take out India’s Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Manika Batra and Hungary’s Nandor Ecseki and Dora Madarasz to land their spot in the final. In an electrifying final showdown, Ri and Kim showcased remarkable synergy as they triumphed over the top-seed Alvaro Robles and Maria Xiao from Spain in a thrilling seven game battle taking it to deuce in the last game. This marks both Ri and Kim’s first Olympic Games appearance and with sights set on an Olympic medal, the pair are determined to represent their country at the highest level.
In knockout bracket two, Hong Kong, China’s Wong and Doo, an experienced Mixed Doubles pairing, currently ranked 7th in the World and seeded second in the tournament held their cool to secure their spot in Paris. They encountered a scare in the quarterfinals from Poland’s Samuel Kulczycki and Zuzanna Wielgos but they were able to scrape through 4-3 before defeating Sweden’s Kristian Karlsson and Christina Kallberg 4-2 to reach the finals. In an impressive final, Wong and Doo demonstrated their seasoned doubles expertise as they joined forces once more to defeat Luxembourg’s Luka Mladenovic and Xia Lian Ni 4-2 to become the second pair of the tournament to secure their Olympic ticket. This marks their second appearance together in the Mixed Doubles event at the Summer Olympic Games. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, their impressive performance saw them reach the quarterfinals. With the next Olympic Games just a few more months away, the pair is undoubtedly setting their sights on surpassing their previous Olympic achievements, striving for even greater success in Paris.
As the Games edges closer, stay updated with everything relating to the road to Paris 2024 on our dedicated event page.
