By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
Lithuania continued a unique record, proving that basketball is the country’s national sport. For a seventh time in a row, the Lithuanians will compete in the Olympic Games and Eurohoops.net measures…presences.
In Lithuania, basketball is like a…religion and the country’s citizens will have the opportunity to remain faithful by watching their team playing for another time in the Olympic Games after their qualification to the Final of the Eurobasket. On the occasion of this unique achievement, Eurohoops measured the presences of all countries in the Olympic Tournaments since 1992, when “the world changed”. This was the time when powerful countries, like the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, were dissolved and new and more countries were created immediately.
So, Lithuania, after gaining its independence from the Soviet Union, is always present in the Olympic Games, since Barcelona and after. It’s the only European country that has achieved that, because Spain hadn’t taken part in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Of course, USA and Australia, which are countries that dominate their continents, have always been present in the Olympic Games, while the same will happen with China, only if they qualify through the Championship of Asia.
Apart from Spain, Angola will tie this number (six presences) only if they qualify through the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, while Argentina has the same number as well.
| Teams | Games | Qualified | Missed |
| USA | 7 | 92, 96, 00, 04, 08, 12, 16 | – |
| Lithuania | 7 | 92, 96, 00, 04, 08, 12, 16 | – |
| Australia | 7 | 92, 96, 00, 04, 08, 12, 16 | – |
| China | 6 | 92, 96, 00, 04, 08, 12 | * |
| Spain | 6 | 92, 00, 04, 08, 12, 16 | 96 |
| Angola | 5 | 92, 96, 00, 04, 08 | 12, 16* |
| Argentina | 5 | 96, 04, 08, 12, 16 | 92, 00 |