ARG/BRA/PUR - Argentina, Brazil, Puerto Rico favourites for London spots

MAR DEL PLATA (FIBA Americas Championship) - Argentina, the only Olympic Champion to take part at the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship, will tip off as the biggest title-contender followed by Brazil and Puerto Rico.

The hosts won the Gold medal in Athens 2004 led by six of the players that will now play in Mar del Plata.

Emanuel Ginóbili, Luis Scola, Andrés Nocioni, Carlos Delfino, Fabricio Oberto and Juan Ignacio Sánchez will feel the crowd's pressure to qualify Argentina to their third consecutive Olympic Game.

Argentina also won a medal in 2008. After an expectable loss to the US stars in the semifinals, the Gauchos beat Lithuania in the third place match to earn Bronze.

Brazil missed the last three Olympic Games, including a 78-65 quarterfinal loss to Germany at the Beijing 2008 World Olympic Qualifying tournament.

Brazilian Federation hired Coach Ruben Magnano, an Olympic champion with Argentina in 2004, in order to carry a young and talented team to the London Games.

Tiago Splitter and Marcelo Huertas will lead the side after Leandrinho Barbosa, Nene Hilario and Anderson Varejao ruled out due to a very wide range of reasons.

The 2004 Games were historical for Puerto Rico, as they became the second team in history to defeat the Dream Team after Argentina.

Carlos Arroyo will be the key player of a team that will now count on a mature NBA champion Juan José Barea and a new coach, Flor Meléndez.

Dominican Republic, Canada and Venezuela will probably compete for the fourth semifinal spot led by Al Horford, Carl English and Greivis Vásquez, respectively.

Uruguay and Panama could upset more than one of the title contenders, while Paraguay and Cuba would be happy to win a single game in the tournament.

FIBA