The Blues and Blues are served. The basketball world had its eyes on Mies, very close to Geneva, this Tuesday. It is there, in the premises of “La Maison du Basketball Patrick Baumann”, the headquarters of Fiba, that the American Carmelo Anthony, triple gold medalist at the Olympics with Team USA, and the Australian Penny Taylor, double silver medalist, carried out the draw for the men’s and women’s 5×5 tournaments in preparation for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris (July 26-August 11).
Vincent Collet’s players, silver medalists in Tokyo, could not meet Team USA, the quadruple title holders, for reasons linked to the broadcasters. They inherited a very affordable group, still including the big German team, the reigning world champions, and Japan. They will also challenge the winner of the TQO in Riga (Latvia), with Latvia, Georgia, the Philippines, Brazil, Montenegro and Cameroon.
Remember that the Latvians surprised the French during the last World Cup in Jakarta. Note a nice clash between the Serbian world vice-champions, with perhaps Nikola Jokic, against the Americans. The group of death? Depending on the result of the TQOs, it will be group A, with Australia and Canada, and potentially Slovenia of Luka Doncic or Greece of Giannis Antetokounmpo (Athens TQO) and Spain (Valencia TQO).
The draw for the men’s tournament: Group A: Australia, OQT Athens, Canada, OQT Valencia Group B: France, Germany, Japan, OQT Riga Group C: Serbia, South Sudan, OQT San Juan, USA
The girls of Jean-Aimé Toupane, silver medalists in 2012 and bronze in 2021, had a one in two chance of meeting Team USA, the seven-time title holders. Nothing will happen. They will face Australia, always formidable, and a great team from Canada. Nigeria, much more affordable, completes this group. France will start with Australia. It’s quite a good draw. It will still have to be confirmed on the floor… Note a clash between the Americans and the Belgian European champions.
The draw for the women’s tournament: Group A: Serbia, Spain, China, Puerto Rico Group B: Canada, Nigeria, Australia, France Group C: Germany, United States, Japan, Belgium
The women’s 5×5 basketball tournament will take place from July 28 to August 11 while the men’s tournament will begin on July 27 and end on August 10. The first round will take place at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve d’Ascq, with the first two from each of the three groups and the two best third-placed teams going to the Accor Arena in Paris, where the final phase will be played from the quarters onwards. . Note that there will be a new draw at the end of the group stage, to avoid the small-time calculations that some nations are historically fond of. We think in particular of our Spanish friends.
