By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
FIBA announced the new format of three pre-olympic tournaments which will decide the three last teams of the 2016 Olympic Games.
The winner of each tournament will qualify to Rio. The three pre-olympic tournaments will be held between the 5th and 10th July 2016 and in total 18 teams will compete in them, six in each tournament. In Europe the teams which will finish from the 3rd to the 7th place of Eurobasket 2015 will qualify to the pre-olympic tournament. Also FIBA will give wildcards to the hosts of the pre-olympic tournaments. If the hosts have already qualified to the tournaments, then the next best team of their continent, according to the latest continental championship standings, will be invited via a wildcard. Practically three wildcards are going to be given either to hosts or the next best teams.
The host country of the Olympics, Brazil, and FIBA World Cup champions, USA, are the only two teams already qualified for the Rio Games.