Russia excluded from men's basketball at 2024 Olympics

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 suspended Russia's teams from international play 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 basketball.

Russia's world ranking was high enough to play in 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 missed out on qualification when it was suspended from the World Cup and EuroBasket qualification last year. Belarus cannot qualify for men's or women's teams. There was no information Tuesday from FIBA about 3-on-3 basketball, which is also an Olympic event.