Austria’s women surpass themselves

Even now – before the final weekend with the knockout phase – this 3×3 basketball world championship on Vienna’s Rathausplatz is a complete success. 3000 enthusiastic fans literally carry Austria’s national teams through the tournament. The red-white-red women around their leading player Sarah Sagerer impressively demonstrate what this emotional backing can achieve.

Only two victories separate the team, which already showed at the dress rehearsal in Azerbaijan (fourth place), from a ticket for the Olympic qualifying tournament for the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. “It would be a dream to be there. I’ve known my colleagues since I was twelve. We harmonize perfectly, the audience also gives us wings. It’s amazing – a super event,” emphasizes the 27-year-old Sagerer from Gampern .

The icing on the cake in the group stage, which Austria finished in first place – equivalent to direct entry into the quarter-finals – was the celebrated 13:10 triumph over defending champions France.

“I really can’t believe it. If we had been told before this World Cup that we would progress as group winners, I would have thought it impossible,” said Anja Fuchs-Robetin in amazement: “If all of us are scoring, it’s very difficult for us to stop.”

This is surprising, especially since Austria’s conventional-style women’s basketball tends to be located in the lower regions from an international perspective. But in the 3×3 the clocks tick differently, the prospect of actually being represented at the Olympics is quite rosy.

This also applies to the men, although one or the other setback must be taken into account. Today, in the first game of the evening, there was a narrow 18:20 defeat against the favorite Latvians.

Top scorer in the ÖBV selection was Matthias Linortner from Altmünster with seven points.