France claim first Volleyball World League title as Rio 2016 passes test

France claimed their first FIVB Volleyball World League title when they defeated Serbia 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-23) at the Maracanazinho Arena on Sunday.

This year's event also served as a test event of the 2016 Summer Olympics, kicking off a series of 44 test runs featuring 7,000 athletes.

The participants include current world champions Poland, the United States, Italy, Brazil, Serbia and France.

The French team were the last qualified for the finals round. On July 11 the team won the Group 2 of World League with a 3-0 victory against Bulgaria and guaranteed their place in the finals.

This year France lost just once, 3-1 to the United States in the Final Group pool play. In Sunday's final against Serbia, France met little challenge as they dominated in most of the three-set victory.

It is the first World League title for France with their previous best silver medal in 2006. For Serbia it is further final heartbreak. It is now the third time that they have lost the World League final.

The United States upset Poland 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-23) for the bronze medal

The event is organized by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) in partnership with the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation (CBV). The Rio 2016 Organizing Committee works strictly in the operation of the competition area, which includes preparation of the court, public entertainment, doping tests and results technology.

Mario Andrada, chief spokesman for the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee, expressed satisfaction over the test event.

"I'm happy to see the crowd here. It's a final without Brazil. And people are having fun and celebrating the sport," he told Xinhua.

"We believe that the operation went well. We still need to do some minor changes to the field of play, but the setting of the field of play looks perfect. A lot of staff of Rio 2016 are working here. It's a positive test." Endi