The map heading to Rio

By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net

The finalists of Eurobasket are known and now the image to the Olympic games in Rio is a much more clear. We know the teams that already qualified and those who will fight for a spot through the preolympic tournaments.

Before the analysis of the complicated pre-Olympic tournaments, let’s take a look at the teams that have already booked their tickets to Brazil. Eight teams have already secured a spot and one more direct ticket remains to be handed out. The only spot still pending is the Asian championship which is going to be completed on October 3.

So far, twelve teams have qualified to the three pre-Olympic tournaments, which will be held next July (5-10/7). Their venues are still unknown, as FIBA still hasn’t received proposals from candidate host countries. Turkey, Italy, Russia and Germany are among the rumored candidates in Europe. The tournament can be undertaken by a country that has already qualified for the pre-Olympic tournament, but also by one that still hasn’t secured their qualification.

If a team that has already qualified undertakes a tournament, then a wild card will be handed to a country from the same continent. The cost for this participation, according to the information that has been leaked, amounts to 1.8 million euros. Three wild cards will be handed in total, without it being clear yet whether they will be distributed to teams from different continents or whether there will be, for example, two European teams.

The 18 teams that are going to take part will be divided in these three pre-Olympic tournaments, and each one of these will include six teams that will be divided according to geographical criteria according to sources close to the situation. That means that there won’t be, for example, a “European” pre-Olympic tournament. The pre-olympic tournaments draw is expected before the end of 2015.

In each one of the pre-Olympic tournaments, the teams will be divided in two groups of three. The top two will qualify to the semifinals, where they will face – following a crosswise logic – the teams of the other group in knockout games, until the winner emerges. The three winners will take part in the Olympic Games in Rio (5-21/8).

The teams that qualified in the preolympic tournaments