The first Basketball game of the Beijing Olympics brings together one team that has its eyes on the podium, and another team who is just happy to have made it this far. Australia is one of the top teams who will be giving three-time defending champions the United States a run for the gold, especially with their star center Lauren Jackson. Jackson led Australia's team in scoring, rebounding and blocks when they took the silver at Sydney, and went on to lead the entire Olympic Women's Basketball tournament in scoring and rebounds when Australia gave a repeat silver performance at Athens in 2004. She is back for her third Olympics and is widely regarded as one of the top athletes in sport.
Belarus, meanwhile, joined group A in the Beijing Games by upsetting Brazil in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying tournament this summer. They also won the bronze at the 2007 EuroBasket. This is the first time in 10 years as an independent country that Belarus has qualified for Basketball at the Olympics. Although they stand little chance against Australia, their center Tatyana Troina is still hopeful for another Belarus surprise. "Australia and the USA stand out in the competition," Troina admits. "I think anything can happen between the other 10 teams."
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