Basketball at the Summer Olympics

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Basketball has been played consistently at the Summer Olympic Games since 1936, with demonstration events in 1904 and 1924. The United States have won all the gold medals in the men's competition from 1936-2004, with the exception of 1972, 1988 (Soviet Union), 1980 (Yugoslavia; did not participate because of the boycott of the Olympic Games), and in 2004 when Argentina won the gold medal. Argentina is the only country to have broken American hegemony since the United States have been sending professional teams to the Olympics in 1992.

Winning the Olympics is considered to be the highest honor in international basketball, followed by the FIBA World Championship and the respective intercontinental championships; this is due to FIBA's rule of allowing senior national teams to participate in the tournament, as opposed to FIFA's under-23 rule in Olympic men's football (note, however, that women's Olympic football features full senior sides).

1 Venues
2 Qualifying
3 Men's tournaments
4 Women's tournaments
5 References

[edit] Venues

All venues were indoor stadiums except for the 1936 tournament which was held outdoors on tennis courts.

Berlin 1936: Reichsportfeld, Berlin
London 1948: Harringay Arena, Harringay
Helsinki 1952: Tennis Palace and Messuhalli II, both in Helsinki
Melbourne 1956: Exhibition Building, Melbourne
Rome 1960: Sports Palace , Rome
Tokyo 1964: Yoyogi National Gymnasium
Mexico City 1968: Palacio de los Deportes, Mexico City
Munich 1972: Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle, Siegenburger Straße
Montreal 1976: Étienne Desmarteau Centre, Montreal
Moscow 1980: Olympic Stadium, Moscow
Los Angeles 1984: The Forum, Inglewood
Seoul 1988: Jamsil Arena, Seoul
Barcelona 1992: Pavelló Olímpic de Badalona, Barcelona
Atlanta 1996: Omni Coliseum, Atlanta
Sydney 2000: The Dome and Sydney SuperDome, Sydney
Athens 2004: Olympic Indoor Hall, Athens
Beijing 2008: Wukesong Indoor Stadium, Beijing

[edit] Qualifying

Teams qualify according to the FIBA Zone they are affiliated with. The distribution of the different FIBA Zones is as follows, for the 2008 tournament:

Zone	Men	Women
FIBA Africa	1	1
FIBA Americas	2	1
FIBA Asia	1	1
FIBA Europe	2	1
FIBA Oceania	1	1
Wildcards	3	5
Host	1	1
World Champion	1	1
Total	12	12

The wildcards qualify via another qualifying tournament a few weeks before the Olympics. The best teams which did not qualify automatically from each zone compete for the remaining berths.

[edit] Men's tournaments

Year	Host	Gold medal game			Bronze medal game
Year	Host	Gold medalist	Score	Silver medalist	Bronze medalist	Score	Fourth place
1936 details	Berlin	USA	19-8	Canada	Mexico	26-12	Poland
1948 details	London	USA	65-21	France	Brazil	52-47	Mexico
1952 details	Helsinki	USA	36-25	Soviet Union	Uruguay	68-59	Argentina
1956 details	Melbourne	USA	89-55	Soviet Union	Uruguay	71-62	France
1960 details	Rome	USA	No playoffs	Soviet Union	Brazil	No playoffs	Italy
1964 details	Tokyo	USA	73-59	Soviet Union	Brazil	76-60	Puerto Rico
1968 details	Mexico City	USA	65-50	Yugoslavia	Soviet Union	70-53	Brazil
1972 details	Munich	Soviet Union	51-50*	USA	Cuba	66-65	Italy
1976 details	Montreal	USA	95-74	Yugoslavia	Soviet Union	100-72	Canada
1980 details	Moscow	Yugoslavia	86-77	Italy	Soviet Union	117-94	Spain
1984 details	Los Angeles	USA	96-65	Spain	Yugoslavia	88-82	Canada
1988 details	Seoul	Soviet Union	76-63	Yugoslavia	USA	78-49	Australia
1992 details	Barcelona	USA	117-85	Croatia	Lithuania	82-78	Unified Team
1996 details	Atlanta	USA	95-69	Yugoslavia	Lithuania	80-74	Australia
2000 details	Sydney	USA	85-75	France	Lithuania	89-71	Australia
2004 details	Athens	Argentina	84-69	Italy	USA	104-96	Lithuania
2008 Details	Beijing

[edit] Medal table

Top finishes of countries that played in the men's tournament of Olympic basketball.

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States (USA)	12	1*	2	15
2	Soviet Union (URS)	2	4	3	9
3	Yugoslavia (YUG)	1	4	1	6
4	Argentina (ARG)	1	0	0	1
5	France (FRA)	0	2	0	2
5	Italy (ITA)	0	2	0	2
7	Canada (CAN)	0	1	0	1
	Croatia (CRO)	0	1	0	1
	Spain (ESP)	0	1	0	1
10	Brazil (BRA)	0	0	3	3
10	Lithuania (LTU)	0	0	3	3
12	Uruguay (URU)	0	0	2	2
13	Cuba (CUB)	0	0	1	1
13	Mexico (MEX)	0	0	1	1

*The American team refused to accept their 1972 silver medal. See Basketball at the 1972 Summer Olympics for details.

[edit] Performance per federation

FIBA Americas - 13 gold medals (12 USA, 1 Argentina)
FIBA Europe - 3 gold medals (2 USSR, 1 Yugoslavia)
FIBA Oceania - fourth place (Australia)
FIBA Asia - fifth place (Philippines)
FIBA Africa - tenth place (Angola, Central African Republic)

[edit] Participating nations

Nation	36	48	52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	00	04	08	Years
Angola													10th	11th	12th	12th	Q	5
Argentina		15th	4th											9th		1st	Q	5
Australia				12th		9th		9th	8th	8th	7th	4th	6th	4th	4th	9th	Q	12
Belgium	15th	11th																2
Brazil	9th	3rd	6th	6th	3rd	3rd	4th	7th		5th	9th	5th	5th	6th				13
Bulgaria			7th	5th	16th	10th												4
Central African Republic												10th						1
Canada	2nd	9th	9th	9th		14th			4th		4th	6th			7th			8
Chile	9th	6th	5th	8th														4
China											10th	11th	12th	8th	10th	8th	Q	7
Chinese Taipei¹	15th	18th		11th														3
Croatia²													2nd	7th				2
Nation	36	48	52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	00	04	08	Years
Cuba	13th	9th				11th	3rd	7th	6th									6
Czechoslovakia	9th	7th	9th		5th			8th	6th	9th								7
Egypt	15th	19th	9th					16th	12th		12th	12th						7
Estonia³	9th																	1
Finland			9th			11th												2
France	15th	2nd	8th	4th	10th						11th				2nd			7
Germany⁴	15th							12th			8th		7th					4
Great Britain	20th																	1
Greece														5th		5th		2
India										12th								1
Iran		14th															Q	2
Iraq		22nd																1
Ireland		23rd																1
Italy	7th	17th			4th	5th	8th	4th	5th	2nd	5th				5th	2nd		11
Nation	36	48	52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	00	04	08	Years
Japan	9th			10th	15th	10th		14th	11th									6
Latvia³	22nd																	1
Lithuania³													3rd	3rd	3rd	4th	Q	5
Mexico	3rd	4th	9th		12th	12th	5th		10th									7
Morocco							16th											4
New Zealand															11th	10th		2
Panama							12th											1
Peru	8th	10th				15th												3
Philippines	5th	12th	9th	7th	11th		13th	13th										7
Poland	4th				7th	6th	6th	10th		7th								6
Puerto Rico					13th	4th	9th	6th	9th			7th	8th	10th		6th		9
Russia^{3, 5}															8th		Q	2
Senegal							15th	15th		11th								3
Nation	36	48	52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	00	04	08	Years
Serbia and Montenegro⁶																11th		1
Singapore				13th														1
Korea				14th		16th	14th					9th		12th				5
Soviet Union			2nd	2nd	2nd	2nd	3rd	1st	3rd	3rd		1st						9
Spain	15th				14th		7th	11th		4th	2nd	8th	9th		9th	7th	Q	11
Sweden										10th								1
Switzerland	9th	21st																2
Thailand				15th														1
Turkey	15th																	1
Unified Team													4th					1
USA	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	2nd*	1st		1st	3rd	1st	1st	1st	3rd	Q	16
Uruguay	6th	5th	3rd	3rd	8th	8th					6th							7
Venezuela													11th					1
Yugoslavia					6th	7th	2nd	5th	2nd	1st	3rd	2nd		2nd	6th			10
Nations	23	23	16	15	16	16	16	16	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12

[edit] Notes

¹ as " China" from 1936-56
² part of " Yugoslavia" from 1936-1988
³ part of " Soviet Union" from 1952-88
⁴ as " West Germany" from 1968-88
⁵ part of Unified Team in 1992
⁶ now " Serbia", as " Yugoslavia" from 1996-2002, part of " Yugoslavia" from 1936-1988

[edit] Unofficial or demonstration tournament winners

1904 Buffalo German YMCA
1924 London Central YMCA