Canada's beach volleyball duo of Mark Heese and Ahren Cadieux fell just short of qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympics after a heartbreaking loss in a last-chance tournament in Marseille, France, on Friday.

The pair needed to maintain a top-24 Olympic world ranking by the deadline of July 20 to secure their ticket to China, but a three-set loss to Norway at the FIVB Olympic Qualifying World Tour ended those hopes.

Norway's Jorre André Kjemperud and Tarjei Skarlund, ranked 18th in the world and eighth at the tournament, took the gruelling, hour-long match 16-21, 28-26, 14-16.

Toronto's Heese and Cadieux, ranked 23rd heading into the event, needed to finish at least ninth. They finished in 17th place.

Heese told CBCSports.ca in an email that it was "quite the match" against Norway with the Canadians saving match points several times in the second set and even having their own match point in the third.

'A slipping away'

Four teams were vying for the final Olympics berth - pairs from China, Japan and France, as well as the Canadians. The Japanese team ended up grabbing the final Olympic berth with a key win.

"Good for them," wrote Heese. "They are good guys and played well during the last few events.

"We missed opportunities in so many tight matches this season, and then with my untimely shoulder problems in Norway, it combined to make our last push to qualify, more of a slipping away."

In his most-recent blog on CBCSports.ca, Heese wrote about what he and Cadieux had ahead of them in Marseille.

"Win and make history, or lose and be history. Those are my two options and as you probably would guess, I intend to make some history."

Despite falling short of his Olympic goal, Heese said he had no regrets.

"I had some tougher moments over this last quad [four-year Olympic period], compared to previous quads where results and finances weren't as much a problem, but overall I've enjoyed the experience and the challenge, and shouldn't hang my head."

Heese, 38, was a bronze medallist at the 1996 Atlanta Games with former partner John Child and was attempting to qualify for his fourth Olympic Games. Cadieux, 33, was going for his first Olympics.

"I feel for my partner who is a good guy and good athlete - coming so close to making his first Olympics," Heese said.

"I had hoped to be a part of helping him achieve his goals, in addition to mine."

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