Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 20, 2016 - For the first time in Olympic Games history two female referees are in charge of a volleyball final, officiating in the Rio 2016 women's gold medal game, China against Serbia at the Maracanazinho.
Susana Rodriguez of Spain has the honour of being the first ever woman to be first referee in an Olympic final. She is assisted by Patricia 'Pati' Rolf of USA as second referee.
They are not the first women to officiate in an Olympic final, but it is the first time that this is a women-only affair.
Patricia Salvatore of USA was second referee (to Argentina's Juan Angel Pereyra) in the Russia v China (2-3) final of Athens 2004. And Zorica Bjelic of Serbia was second referee (to Russia's Andrey Zenovich) in the Brazil v USA (3-1) final of London 2012.
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