Taliqua Clancy will play for bronze on Saturday morning after falling short in a heartbreaking loss to the Brazilian world no.1s in the women's beach volleyball semi-final in Paris.
Clancy and teammate Mariafe Artacho del Solar were searching for their second consecutive Olympic final, and go one better after claiming silver in Tokyo three years ago.
The Australians took an early lead but failed to hold off a previously unscathed Duda Lisboa and Ana Patrícia Ramos, who took the final two sets to move into the decider.
After falling behind early in the match, Clancy and Artacho del Solar fought back to tie at 18-all and claim the first set 22-20, marking first set loss for the Brazilians in their Olympic campaign.
However Duda and Ana played out the second set with added class, with Clancy and Artacho del Solar unable to claw things back after trailing by four points mid-way through.
It set up a tense third set with guaranteed silver and gold medal dreams on the line.
In a back-and-forth opening minutes - including an exhausting desperate rally and successful challenge from the Aussies - Clancy and Artacho del Solar responded to tie at 8,10,11 and 12-all before a Brazilian run of three in the race to fifteen closed out the match.
Brazil move forward 20-22, 21-15, 15-12.
"I think it was just little small moments." Clancy said post match, via olympics.com.au
"There were just those little small moments that didn't go our way. We definitely created opportunities. That will be the difference for tomorrow.
"You know, when you are down to the final four every team is incredibly good. It's just those little moments, and, unfortunately, they didn't turn in our way. It's the beauty of sport. You can play the best game of your life and you can still lose."
In Saturday's match for bronze Clancy and Artacho del Solar will meet Switzerland's Tanja Hueberli and Nina Brunner, who lost their semi to Canada's Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson.
Hueberli and Brunner had progressed to the final four undefeated having only dropping one set to Paraguay during the pool stage.
On the Marseille Marina on Thursday, Conor Nicholas, with teammate Nia Jerwood, finished sixth in the mixed dinghy medal race.
Wakka Wakka Sprinter Calab Law helped set a national record in the men's 4x100m relay on the same night.
Law spoke to National Indigenous Times after the race.
The 20-year-old ran his third leg in 9.31 seconds alongside teammates Lachlan Kennedy, Jacob Despard and Joshua Azzopardi, who finished with a collective time of 38.12 seconds to finish the opening heat in sixth, 0.65 seconds behind the USA's pace.
Following a slower second heat, Australia's time was 0.05 of a second off qualifying for Friday morning's final.
However they managed to shave the same off the previous national record.
"I mean, it's not everyday you get to run an Australian record," Law told Channel 9 post-race.
"To do it at the Olympics is crazy, so I think we should all be really proud of ourselves."
Clancy remains the sole First Nations athlete competing for a medal in the final days of the Games.
