OKINAWA, Japan -- The Australian Boomers have earned automatic qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics, affording them a chance to defend or improve on their bronze medal winning campaign in Tokyo 2021.
New Zealand's loss to Greece to end the first round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup on Wednesday evening knocked them out of contention to win the tournament, and confirmed the Olympic qualification for Australia, assuring the Boomers would be the highest-finishing Oceania team at the event.
The Boomers finished their first round group 2-1 to progress to the second round of the World Cup.
Seven quota places for the Paris Olympics plan to be allocated during this World Cup - which is currently underway across three Asian countries - with the highest-finishing team(s) from each region earning an automatic bid for the Paris Olympics. There was only one Oceania place available.
The only other men's basketball team that has qualified for the Paris Olympics is France, who earned an automatic selection as the host nation.
The Boomers defeated Slovenia in the bronze medal game of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, which was the highest ever finish for the Australian men's national team in a major international tournament.
Brian Goorjian's team is currently in the second round of the World Cup, having progressed to Group K, alongside Germany, Slovenia, and Georgia. Those games will continue to be in Okinawa, Japan. The top-two finishers of that group will progress to the quarterfinals in Manila, Philippines.
New Zealand is still able to qualify for the Olympics, should they have success in the upcoming Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.