Canadian women draw USA in group stage of Olympic basketball in Rio
Olympic basketball draws were made on Friday ahead of the Games this summer in Rio de Janeiro and the Canadian women have been placed with the United States in the same group.
The defending Olympic gold medallist USA and Pan Am Games champion Canada (which beat USA last year at TO2015) play each other on August 12 at the Youth Arena in Deodoro (Rio’s northwest Olympic zone).
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Moriah Jefferson of the United States looks on as Canada’s Kia Nurse celebrates a basket and foul during gold medal action at the Pan American games in Toronto, July 20, 2015 (COC Photo by Jason Ransom).
Canada’s first match will be on either August 6 or 7 against a team that has yet to qualify. That will follow an encounter with Serbia on August 8, then it’s Senegal two days later before what will be a highly anticipated USA matchup. Group B games conclude on August 14 where Canada will meet another late qualifier. Top four teams from the group phase will advance to the quarterfinals, which will move to the Olympic Park in Barra (south of Deodoro).
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Group A in the women’s tournament consists of host nation Brazil, along with Japan, Australia and three qualifiers yet to book a place in Rio.
Andrew Wiggins goes up for a shot against Venezuela at FIBA Americas on September 3, 2015.
On the men’s side, Canada will have one more chance to qualify with a last chance tournament in the Philippines in July. USA is the defending champion and has been placed in Group A with Venezuela, China, Australia and two qualifiers.
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Just as they did in the women’s tournament, host Brazilians again avoid the powerful USA in the first stage, heading Group B against Spain, Lithuania, Nigeria and national nemesis Argentina. Another late qualifier will join that group.
All men’s Olympic basketball matches will be played at the Olympic Park in Barra.
All bronze and gold medal matches will be played in Barra’s Carioca Arena I on August 20 (women) and 21 (men).
