Chinese women volleyball team has risen to the top of the latest world ranking, as released by the World volleyball governing body, FIVB, after their success at the Athens Olympics.

The squad has been promoted from third to first place after their hard-won Olympic gold.

It was the first Chinese Olympic gold for 20 years in women's basketball, and therefore an important victory for a team guided by head coach Chen Zhonghe.

Athens Olympic runner-ups Russia and the former number one, the U.S., now stand in 2nd and 3rd places respectively.

In the men's volleyball table, the new Olympic champions, Brazil, remain in first position, while China climbed one place to 13th and their old Asian rivals South Korea scraped into the top ten at tenth place.

(CRI.com September 6, 2004)