China wins third women’s volleyball gold

Gold medallists China pose on the podium with a flag after the women’s Gold Medal volleyball match at Maracanazinho Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 20, 2016, at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. / AFP PHOTO / Juan Mabromata

China won their third Olympic Games women’s volleyball gold on Saturday with a 3-1 victory over Serbia in the final.

China also won gold in 1984 and 2004 while they were runners-up to Cuba in 1996.

Serbia were playing in the Olympic final for the first time having previously never progressed beyond the quarter-finals.

Only the Soviet Union — with four golds — has been more successful in Olympics women volleyball than China.

The come-from-behind 19-25, 25-17, 25-22, 25-23 victory also allowed the Chinese to equal Japan and the Soviets on six medals overall in the discipline.