FIBA World Championship

From Hoopedia

Men's and women's competition is held every four years at the FIBA World Championships (2006, 2010, etc.). Unlike the Olympics at which 12 teams participate, 24 countries compete in the World Championship for Men and 16 teams participate in the World Championship for Women. In basketball circles, the World Championship title is considered as prestigious as the Olympic title. The USA women successfully defended the gold medal after finishing a perfect 9-0 in China in 2002, while the USA men finished third with an 8-1 record in the 2006 World Championship in Japan. The next World Championship competition is scheduled for 2010 in Turkey for the men, and in 2010 at a site TBA for the women.