The French men’s and women’s basketball teams now know their schedule for the group stage at the Olympics this summer in Lille and Paris.
The draw was revealed on Tuesday for the basketball teams at the 2024 Olympics. The French men, led by Vincent Collet, have a relatively manageable group with Germany, Japan, and possibly Latvia, the winner of the Riga Qualifying Tournament. The French women, coached by Jean-Aimé Toupane, will face Australia, Canada, and Nigeria. The schedule of matches was also announced on Tuesday evening.
Victor Wembanyama and his teammates will start by playing the winner of the Latvian Qualifying Tournament, followed by matches against Japan and the reigning world champions, Germany. Coach Collet is “overall satisfied” with the draw and believes that starting well against their first opponents will be crucial. He considers the match against Germany as potentially a final. This would be their goal to avoid facing the strong American team in the quarter-finals at the Accor Arena. The group stage will be held in Villeneuve d’Ascq at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
The French women will face Canada, Nigeria, and then Australia, the toughest opponent on paper. Coach Jean-Aimé Toupane emphasizes that every match will be like a final and is pleased to have clarity after the draw. The top two teams from each group, as well as the two best third-place teams, will qualify for the quarter-finals. The women’s tournament will take place from July 28 to August 11, while the men’s tournament will be held from July 27 to August 10.
The French men’s team schedule: July 27: France vs. Winner of the Riga Qualifying Tournament (Latvia), July 30: Japan vs. France, August 2: France vs. Germany.
The French women’s team schedule: July 29: Canada vs. France, August 1: France vs. Nigeria, August 4: Australia vs. France.
