POL - European teams closer to London

LODZ (EuroBasket Women 2011) - Before the EuroBasket Women, Spain seemed near certainties to be at next year’s FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women.

This was the team that had played at both the Athens and Beijing Games.

Yet their failure to advance from Round 2 after a shock defeat to Croatia prevented them from taking part.

The Spanish players cried on the court like there was no tomorrow, but not the Croatians.

They partied like never before after a basketball game.

Even after the win against Spain, few gave Croatia a chance of reaching the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

It turns out that someone believed they’d make it, and it wasn’t a player.

"I have to admit that the coach (Stipe Bralic) was the only one that had the challenge of finishing in the top five to go to the Pre-Olympic tournament from the very beginning,” said Croatia forward Ana Lelas to FIBA.com.

“He gave interviews to the Croatia media saying, ‘I want to go to the Olympic games.’”

After being thrashed by the Czech Republic in the Quarter-Finals, Croatia responded by winning against Latvia and then Montenegro in the fifth-place game.

The victory over Montenegro showed just how far Croatia had come because Miodrag Baletic’s side had won the first encounter, 81-60.

They had seemed destined for a top-five finish themselves after winning their first six games yet ended up sixth.

"I´m really excited about the Pre-Olympic Games,” Lelas said.

“I know that it is a dream of every player or every athlete to go to the Olympics and we are going to give our best.”

Lelas got hurt in a Round 2 game against Latvia and couldn’t play again in the EuroBasket Women.

“I want to be healthy and prepare for those games,” she said.

Jubilation after Quarter-Final wins

The scenes were emotional after the EuroBasket Women Quarter-Finals in Poland.

A ceremony to honor the winners in the last eight would not have seemed out of place at all because they celebrated as if they’d claimed medals.

France were perhaps the most relieved of all the last-eight winners.

They had been suffering since 2007, haunted by the memory of a failure to reach the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Emmeline Ndongue, the France center who was the most valuable player in the French league this past season, suffered an Achilles tendon injury in the EuroBasket Women Round 2 win over Spain and had to return to France for surgery.

Yet she flew back to Poland and sat on the bench with her teammates and cheered as they beat Lithuania to clinch a spot top-four place.

Ndongue burst into tears when it was over because at long last, they could let go of the 2007 disappointment.

“We had this memory and it was so hard, and we didn’t want to miss it again,” Ndongue said to FIBA.com.

“Now we now know that we’ll be at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, it’s such a good sensation.”

France went on to beat the Czech Republic in the bronze-medal game.

Having the place in the Olympic qualifiers sewn up allowed the Czechs to leave Poland in a good mood.

After falling to France in the bronze-medal game, it took a while but they eventually began to smile again.

“It’s tough to be so close to getting a medal and not get one,” said Czech power forward Ilona Burgrova to FIBA.com.

“But at least we still have a chance to go to the Olympics and that would be amazing.”

EuroBasket Women silver medalists Turkey are the other side to have booked a place in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

This didn’t seem possible before the EuroBasket Women because Turkey had never reached the Quarter-Finals, but they upset Belarus and then knocked off Montenegro in the last eight before surprising France in the Semi-Finals.

If three years ago in Madrid is anything to go by, expect the four European teams to take the five spots available for London.

Spain, the Czechs, Latvians and Belarus took four of the five spots on offer for Beijing in 2008 and joined Russia in the tournament field.

Similar to Madrid, five places will be up for grabs at next year’s qualifying event.

“We want to go to the Olympics,” said France’s biggest star, Sandrine Gruda, said to FIBA.com.

"It's something that's missing from my career.

“I hope we'll get there, be able to enjoy and who knows, do something great.”

France had wanted to defend their title, but Gruda admitted: "The goal of the coach (Pierre Vincent) at the beginning of this Championship was to get to the qualifying tournament.

“So to get a bronze medal is great."

European teams had had a strong presence at the Athens Games, too.

In 2004, Greece took part as the host nation and were joined by EuroBasket Women 2003 gold medalists Russia, silver-medalists the Czech Republic and bronze-medal winners Spain.

FIBA