SYDNEY, May 26 (Xinhua) -- The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) announced its 12-strong women's basketball team for the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday.
The Opals team is filled with World Cup and Olympic medallists and international experience with Rebecca Allen, Liz Cambage, Ezi Magbegor, Leilani Mitchell, Alanna Smith and Stephanie Talbot all currently playing in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) in the United States.
Dual Olympian Jenna O'Hea, who will captain the side, said she felt a "huge sense of relief" about the announcement.
"It's been a difficult 24 months with the delay of the Games and I'm proud of each and every Opals squad member for their strength and resilience throughout this process. The 12 of us are ready to come together and compete for that elusive Olympic gold medal," O'Hea said.
The Opals' Olympic record includes three silver and two bronze medals from Atlanta 1996 to London 2012 along with silver at the 2018 World Cup in Spain.
The Opals head coach Sandy Brondello, a triple Olympic medallist, said she was confident the team would be able to adapt to any style of play they confronted in Tokyo.
"We have good size, speed, toughness, versatility and experience which will all be required in a high-pressure situation like the Olympics," Brondello said.
"Our 19 days of preparation leading into our first game in Olympic tournament will be greatly beneficial to the team to develop the necessary chemistry for us to be at our peak when it matters."
The team, ranked No. 2 in the world, has been drawn in Pool C, with matches against Belgium, Puerto Rico and China beginning on July 27. Enditem
