The French basketball team will face Germany, the reigning world champion, during the group stage of the Paris Olympic Games, where the Blues will be opposed to Australia and Canada, avoiding the United States, according to the draw made on Tuesday. The Blues, reigning Olympic vice-champions, could not be placed in the group of Americans, quadruple title holders and who should present themselves in Paris with a team composed solely of stars (LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant …).
The French, probably with Victor Wembanyama, will also face Japan and the winner of the qualifying tournament (TQO) organized in Latvia (Latvia, Georgia, Philippines, Brazil, Montenegro, Cameroon) in Pool B. They could thus find the Latvians, their executioner in groups in Jakarta at the 2023 World Cup.
A tantalizing United States-Serbia in the men’s race
The Blues will cross paths with the Mannschaft of Dennis Schröder and the brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner twice before the Olympics (July 26-August 10), in preparation on July 6 and 8. The Americans (pool C) will be opposed to Serbia, reigning world vice-champion who will probably appear with Nikola Jokić (Denver), South Sudan and the winner of the Puerto Rico qualifying tournament (Puerto Rico, Italy , Bahrain, Lithuania, Mexico, Ivory Coast).
In Pool A, Australia will cross swords with Canada, third in the 2023 World Cup, the winner of the qualifying tournament in Greece (Greece, Slovenia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Croatia, New Zealand) and the team which will win the one organized in Spain (Spain, Angola, Lebanon, Bahamas, Finland, Poland). The TQOs will take place from July 2 to 7. The first two from each of the three groups and the two best second are qualified for the quarter-finals, for which a new draw will be carried out to determine the oppositions.
Americans in the group of death
Same rules for the women’s tournament (July 27-August 11), where the French avoided the Americans, seven-time title holders, whom they had a one in two chance of meeting during the draw. The last opponent of Les Bleues (pool B), bronze medalists in Tokyo in 2021, is Nigeria. The United States will face Belgium, the reigning European champion, Germany and Japan in the “group of death” (C). The last group (A) will pit China, reigning world vice-champion, against Serbia, Spain and Puerto Rico.