Olympic basketball tips off
The Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament tips off today at the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo.
Group A: Czech Republic, France, Iran, USA
Group B: Australia, Germany, Italy, Nigeria
Group C: Argentina, Japan, Slovenia, Spain
Group Phase action takes place from July 25th – August 1st. The top two teams from each of the three groups and the best two third-placed teams will progress to the Quarter-Finals. After the Group Phase, a draw for the Final Phase follows that will produce the pathway to the Tokyo 2020 gold medal.
To be crowned Olympic champion, a team has to play six games – three in the Group Phase and three in the Final Phase (Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals, Gold Medal Game), instead of eight games as in past tournaments. Teams from the same grouping cannot be drawn against each other in the Quarter-Finals. From the Quarter-Finals onwards, the competition follows a knockout format. For more information, check out the Competition System.
Having stood atop the podium at the past three Olympic Games and medaled in each of the 18 Olympics, they participated in, the USA men come in as the favorites to earn their 16th Olympic gold medal in Tokyo.
With their victory at the Olympic Games Athens 2004, Argentina comes in as the only other competing nation in Tokyo to have won Olympic gold in men’s basketball. The Czech Republic and Slovenia will make their Olympic debut in the event.
