Marseille, France, July 20, 2008 -- The German team of Stephanie Pohl and Okka Rau, who won the first women's gold medal in the history of the SWATCH FIVB World Tour, beat Maria Antonelli and Vanilda Leao of Brazil to win the gold medal In the World Series13 here on Sunday. Brazil claimed two medals, winning multiple medals in Marseille for the sixth time.

Pohl and Rau, whose 80 events together rank sixth all-time, were playing in their first title match. In the first set, they broke a 16-16 tie with a 4-0 run that enabled them to win 21-17. The Germans led in the second set 17-13, but a 6-1 scoring run by Maria Antonelli and Vanilda Leao, spurred on by three aces, gave Brazil the lead they needed in taking the set 22-20.

In the third set, Pohl and Rau used their Marseille experience to their advantage, as they won all five three-set matches they played here in this Mediterranean city. The third-seeded Germans took an early lead of 5-2 and built it up to an 11-5 advantage. Rau, normally the back-row defender, recorded a block to win the match 15-9. Pohl was selected as the SWATCH Most Outstanding Player of the event.

In the bronze medal match, Brazilian sisters Maria Clara and Carolina Salgado swept Helke Claasen and Antje Roder of Germany, 21-17, 25-23. The medal was the third for the young Brazilians, who also collected Bronze medals in Cape Town in 2005 and Stare Jablonksi earlier this season. The Germans, meanwhile, were striving for their first ever medal.