Tokyo Olympics: USA beats China in women’s volleyball to leave reigning champions winless
- Rio 2016 gold medal team slumps to another 3-0 defeat thanks to Jordan Thompson’s 34 points for world No 1
- Though Lang Ping’s side are yet to win a set in Tokyo, there are positives including Zhu Ting’s return to form
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Another 3-0 defeat at the Ariake Arena came their way at the hands of the world No 1 USA team to sit above only the lowly Argentina in group B.
That does not tell the whole story for the Rio 2016 Olympic gold medal winners and, along with the US, the favourites to stand atop the podium at these Games.
China were much more competitive than in their opening whitewash against Turkey, making the US work from the off.
The first set ended 29-27 to the Americans but this looked like the China of old and, more importantly to their medal hopes, Zhu Ting – the Rio 2016 MVP – was back to her old self.
China coach Lang Ping, who coached the USA team at the Beijing 2008 Olympics before winning back the public by guiding her country to Rio gold, had talked up her star player’s wrist injury after the Turkey defeat.
Zhu put that aside, top scoring for China with 18 points against a US side who saw a monster 34 points from Jordan Thompson.
Despite the positives in their second match, Lang’s side need to see results or Rio will seem a very distant memory.
China play the Russians on Thursday before matches against Italy and Argentina to round out the six-team group stage. The top four teams progress to the quarter-finals.
