Twitter enraged over Claes and Sponcil’s controversial loss in beach volleyball
Twitter raged about Kelly Claes and Sarah Sponcil being robbed in the women’s beach volleyball quarterfinals after a controversial challenge to a challenge.
The dynamic duo of Sarah Sponcil and Kelly Claes were knocked out in the round of 16 of the 2021 Olympics beach volleyball tournament.
The Americans lost to Canadian pair Heather Bansley and Brandie Wilkerson in an upset. Sponcil and Claes ranked No. 3 in the world. Bansley and Wilkerson ranked No. 16.
Was it a fair result? Twitter doesn’t think so.
In the third set, with Canada leading 12-11, Sponcil’s serve was called out. Sponcil and Claes challenged the ruling and the officials reversed it on replay review.
That’s when things got weird. Canada challenged the challenge and the referees reversed the reversal. Sponcil and Claes went on to lose the third set and the match.
No one understands the review in Sponcil and Claes’ beach volleyball loss
Twitter was irate, throwing around the word “ROBBED” with abandon.
https://twitter.com/trackris24/status/1421646248411607040?s=20
Sponcil and Claes were robbed... pic.twitter.com/5jdsRKL9sg
— TequilaDude68 (@tequila1560) August 1, 2021
Kelly Claes and Sarah Sponcil just got ROBBED and you will never convince me otherwise.
— Jaclyn Morgese (@j_morgese) August 1, 2021
Some referee shenanigans on that beach volleyball match. Claes/Sponcil got robbed. #Olympics
— brian is bivalent boosted (@b5alive) August 1, 2021
Confusion largely stemmed from how the challenges were handled. It just didn’t make any sense.
You can Challenge a Challenge on the same play and get a different result??? I feel so bad for Claes/Sponcil #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/4cicx8sFrl
— Katrina Nesbit (@KatrinaNesbit) August 1, 2021
So, in beach volleyball, the US challenged, won it, and then Canada challenged the challenge and won? I don’t understand it at all. Claes and Sponcil don’t, either.
— Maggie Hendricks (@maggiehendricks) August 1, 2021
Really feel for Claes/Sponcil.. how do you challenge a play, have the call overturned in your favor, only to have the opponent challenge THE SAME PLAY and have it overturned again the other way?? Insane
— decl-Ian Rice (@imcpheet) August 1, 2021
So for everyone who only hears about this outcome, let me tell you that Claes & Sponcil lost unfairly. They challenged a call, call was given in their favor, but then CAN challenged the challenge and won a point! Absurd!!! https://t.co/HQZ4PEJg5e
— Kass B (@_kbarbs) August 1, 2021
The rulebook doesn’t seem to allow for what happened.
Sad to see Claes and Sponcil go out like that, especially since FIVB rules state that challenges cannot be appealed once announced. #Tokyo2020 #beachvolleyball #TeamUSA #lodgeaprotest? @USOlympic #robbed pic.twitter.com/8baiL4EJti
— Chris Lumry (@chris_lumry) August 1, 2021
Unfortunately for Claes and Sponcil, there doesn’t seem to be any recourse. They’re out of the Olympics just like that.
Sponcil is 24 years old and Claes is 25, so they likely will have more Olympic opportunities down the line. That won’t make this result any less devastating for the two.
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