Tiffany Hayes is Headed to the Paris Olympics

[UConnCat]

Will play for Azerbaijan in 3x3 event after the team won a qualifying event.

 

[UConnCat]

Latvia and Azerbaijan win FIBA 3x3 Universality Olympic Qualifying Tournament 1, qualify to Paris Olympics

HONG KONG (CHINA) - Latvia (Men) and Azerbaijan (Women) claim tickets to the Paris Olympics as they win the first FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 in Hong Kong, China.

www.fiba.basketball

In the Women’s category, Azerbaijan defeated Poland in the final in a thrilling 18-17 victory, led by Tiffany Hayes who put up 6 points in the effort. Hayes took home MVP honors, putting up 32 points while creating throughout in a superb tournament for her side

 

[EricLA]

So thrilled for her! She will enjoy every second of her experience! Girl's still got game!!

 

[Dawson]

She has the perfect playing style for 3x3. Looking forward to watching her play

 

[CTBballfan243]

Not sure where that is, but good luck and have fun!!!!

 

[Blueballer]

Do we know the other players? Any from the USA?

 

[cordarone]

Do we know the other players? Any from the USA?

Azerbaijan's 3x3 basketball team has qualified

Interesting look into the Olympics qualifier.Turns out three of the four players on the Azeri team are from the US: Hayes, Marcedes Walker from Pitt and Alexandra Mollenauer from D2 Anderson.

 

[LGITB]

"Azerbaijan"... hardly. This is very similar to a very common practice some countries (Turkey, Qatar, obvs Azerbaijan and other) used in long distance and Judo (just to name a couple) where they use VERY lenient citizenship/representation laws to recruit athletes to win medals for them.
Still, happy she'll get her chance to medal! (hopefully)

 

[FormerCTrez]

Will play for Azerbaijan in 3x3 event after the team won a qualifying event.

Go Tiffany!

 

[Kat]

Stuff like this really turns me off about the Olympics.

 

[LGITB]

Stuff like this really turns me off about the Olympics.

Well, to give a positive spin to it:
1. Sometimes players who are overlooked by their home countries for political reasons/favorisem get a 2nd chance (but I'll admit, that's not normally what it's all about...)
2. Some sports have super strict regulations about who can play for a country. Rugby for example, requires 3-5 years of no play period before you can switch representation, unless you're able to prove a solid connection to the country you want to switch to (your parents/grandparents were born there, you lived in the country non stop for at least 36 months).

(Judo is the complete opposite, and so you end up with a Judoka that represented 1 country in 2016, another in 2020(1) and will represent a 3rd(!) country in 2024!)

 

[ThisJustIn]

Additionally, some countries can have a shining star with no national team to play on....