Groups drawn for basketball tournaments at Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Defending men’s champions the USA to face Australia, China and Venezuela, while US women – who also won gold at London 2012 – are drawn with Canada, Senegal and Serbia
The USA’s Stephen Curry (shooting in picture) is likely to be one of the stars of Rio 2016 (Getty Images/David Ramos)
The world’s top basketball teams can start planning the fine details of their bids for Olympic glory in Brazil this year after the draw for the men’s and women’s tournaments at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games was staged on Friday (11 March) morning. The draw at the International Basketball Federation’s (FIBA) House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland, threw up some fascinating clashes.
In the men’s tournament, reigning Olympic and world champions the USA were drawn in Group A with Australia, China, Venezuela and two teams to be decided at the Olympic qualifying tournaments on 4-10 July. The other top-seeded men’s team, London 2012 silver medallists Spain, were drawn in a tough-looking Group B along with Argentina, Brazil, Lithuania, Nigeria and the other team to be decided at the qualifiers in July.
The host nation was placed in Group B after the USA and Venezuela had been drawn in Group A in order to avoid having three teams from the Americas in the same group.
Click here to see the men’s and women’s match schedules.
“It’s a great draw – Brazil’s men will play Spain, Argentina and Lithuania, while Brazil’s women will play Australia in their first game. We expect big Olympic Games ”
Paulinho Villas Boas, Rio 2016 basketball manager
In the women’s tournament, reigning Olympic and world champions the USA were drawn in Group B with Canada, Senegal, Serbia and two teams to be decided at the Olympic qualifying tournament on 13-19 June. Group A will feature London 2012 bronze medallists Australia along with Brazil, Japan, and three teams to be decided at the qualifier in June.
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Rio 2016 basketball manager Paulinho Villas Boas, who played for Brazil at the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games (finishing fifth both times), was at the draw and expressed his excitement afterwards, especially ahead of some tasty encounters for the host nation.
The Rio 2016 basketball competition will run for almost the entire duration of the Olympic Games, begining with the first group phase games on 6 August, the day after the opening ceremony at the Maracanã Stadium, and finishing with the women’s medal games on 20 August and the men’s podium deciders on 21 August, the day of the closing ceremony.
The group phases will be played in a round-robin format (each team plays the other five in its group), with the top four teams in each group proceding to the knock-out phase, which consists of quarter-finals, semi-finals, bronze medal games and gold medal games.
In January, Rio 2016 unveiled Carioca Arena 1, the main basketball venue that is suituated in Barra Olympic Park, and earlier this month opened the Youth Arena, which will stage the women’s group games, in Deodoro Olympic Park.
Find out how to buy tickets to the Rio 2016 Games
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