China Rio bound after volleyball World Cup title

China's Zhang Changning, center, and Zeng Chunlei, right, talk with each other during the women's volleyball World Cup final in Nagoya, Japan, on Sept 6, 2015. [Photo/CFP]

Boasting a strong roster and great team spirit, the Chinese women, led by Lang, claimed five consecutive world titles, including two World Cup titles, two World Championships and an Olympic gold in the 1980s, to become the nation's first 'big-ball' team to dominate on the world stage.

However, the China squad has been plagued by frustrating international results since those heady days due to frequent coaching changes, injuries to key players and a shortage of emerging talent.

The victorious World Cup campaign has boosted the squad's morale and has also marked the end of a prolonged slump, said Zhang Ping, a member of the 2004 gold-winning team.

"The journey of the Cup really motivated the current team, which is young and relatively inexperienced.

"The team should learn from the experience this time and make the best of it in preparation for the Olympics next year," said Zhang, who witnessed the victory on Sunday as a guest TV commentator.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn