Volleyball: Cuba race to world whitewash

CUBA CONFIRMED their status as the undisputed top women's team by retaining the World Championship with a 3-0 win over China in the final in Osaka yesterday.

Cuba's 15-4, 16-14, 15-12 victory allowed them to complete a gold medal double, their two World championships combining with back-to-back Olympic titles in 1992 and 1996.

Except for Cuba's new skin-tight strip, little had changed in the two years since the countries met in the Olympic final in Atlanta, where the Cubans prevailed by the same scoreline.

China, who landed back-to-back World titles in 1982 and 1986, meekly surrendered the opening set but offered more resistance in the second and third, though without significantly tilting the balance.

The Cubans also took most of the individual awards, including World's best player, which went to Regla Torres Herrera.