Rio de Janeiro, June 7 (IANS) Hosts Brazil have been drawn in the same pool as World Cup winners USA, runners-up Italy and European champions France at this year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, world volleyball governing body FIVB has said.
The two Rio 2016 pools of six teams each were announced on Monday after Poland, Iran, France, Canada and Mexico clinched the final spots at the Olympic qualification tournaments in Japan and Mexico on Sunday, reports Xinhua.
The top four teams from each pool will advance to the knockout phase.
Brazil, who won gold at the 2004 Games in Athens, have been runners-up in the past two Olympic men's volleyball finals. They lost to Russia in London four years ago and the United States at the Beijing 2008 Games.
The Rio 2016 Olympic men's volleyball tournament runs from August 7-21.
Olympic men's volleyball pools:
Pool A: Brazil, Italy, USA, Canada, France, Mexico
Pool B: Poland, Russia, Argentina, Iran, Cuba, Egypt
