Russia excluded from men's basketball at 2024 Olympics

FILE - The Olympic rings are displayed outside the basketball arena in the Olympic Park before the start of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, on July 15, 2012. Basketballs international governing body FIBA says Russia has been excluded from qualification for the mens Olympic basketball tournament in Paris next year. The decision was widely expected since FIBA has suspended Russias teams from international play since shortly after the invasion of Ukraine last year. (AP Photo/Jae Hong, File) (Jae Hong, Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

MIES – Russia has been excluded from qualification for the men's Olympic basketball tournament in Paris next year, basketball's international governing body FIBA said Tuesday.

The decision was widely expected since FIBA has suspended Russia's teams from international play since shortly after the invasion of Ukraine last year. The International Olympic Committee favors allowing individual athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus to compete as neutrals, but not as national teams, like in basketball.

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Russia's world ranking was high enough for it to play Olympic pre-qualifying tournaments this year, but that place will be given to Bulgaria as the next-highest-ranked team from Europe, FIBA said in a statement citing the IOC's recommendations.

The Russian women's team already missed out on qualification when it was suspended from the World Cup and EuroBasket qualification last year. Belarus cannot qualify men's or women's teams.

There was no information Tuesday from FIBA about 3-on-3 basketball, which is also an Olympic event.

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