The U.S. women’s team was drawn into a four-team group that includes New Zealand, France and Colombia for this summer’s Olympic soccer tournament.
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Group F has Canada, Austria, Zimbabwe and Germany, while Group G features Colombia, the United States, New Zealand and France.
Nigeria have been drawn in Group B in the 2016 Rio Olympic Men’s Football Tournament along with 1948 winners Sweden and Japan and Colombia.
That said, the Americans are heavily favored to win a fifth gold medal in the sixth Olympic women’s soccer tournament ever staged.
With former world champion Mitchell still on the comeback trail from a knee injury and beam specialist Mary-Anne Monckton’s year ruined by a knee reconstruction, Liddick is taking a new-look team to Rio. They are also the reigning World Cup champions. The Football Ferns, who were eliminated from the group stage at the Women’s World Cup with a 0-1-2 mark, are captained by Western New York Flash defender Abby Erceg.
The action gets under way on 3 August, with five other cities aside from Rio staging games: Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Manaus, Salvador and Sao Paulo.
Brazil’s men have received a favourable draw for the Olympic football competition in August, while holders Mexico will face Germany.
Marina da Glória hosted two test-events for the Rio 2016 Games, in August 2014 and 2015.
Jones finished 21st in Beijing in 2008 and improved to 14th in London four years ago. “Some that play in the Copa America will also be in the Olympics”.
“Unfortunately during the final series vs Shanghai I think the pressure, expectation and toll of a physically demanding schedule led us to not being able to perform at our highest level which is disappointing”.
Not since 1988 has Australia failed to qualify a female gymnastics team for an Olympic Games – a scenario the latest batch of stars will be looking to avoid this weekend.
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The Olympic Shooting Centre, located inside the Deodoro Park, one of three venue clusters for the Games, will host 15 finals beginning April 16 with the men’s 10m air rife kicking off the race for the medals.
