Lauri Markkanen To Miss Olympic Qualifiers For Finland
Jun 5, 2024, 1:00 PM | Updated: Jun 6, 2024, 12:22 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Jazz All-Star Lauri Markkanen will not play for his native Finland during the Olympic Qualifying Tournament due to a lingering shoulder injury.
Markkanen missed 17 of the Jazz’s final 21 games of the 2023-24 regular season with what the team called a right shoulder impingement.
The Olympic Qualifying Tournament will be held in Valencia, Spain during the first week of July.
Markkanen To Miss Olympic Qualifying Tournament For Finland
Markkanen’s absence is a significant blow for Finland who hoped to claim a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Host Spain, Finland, Lebanon, Angola, Poland, and the Bahamas will battle for the single remaining open spot in Group A of the Summer Olympics.
“Certainly, this is tough,” Markkanen said in a release translated by eurohoops.net. “Representing Finland and playing for the national team is an honor for me. Along with my teammates, we have been talking all season about how sweet it would be to advance to the Olympic Games.”
Finland star Lauri Markkanen is out through the summer international schedule
A massive blow in the hunt for a last-minute ticket to the Olympic Games#FIBAOQT #Paris2024https://t.co/6TiZNae6md
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) June 3, 2024
Highly touted Canada, Australia, and Greece await the final Group A qualifier at the Olympics.
Markkanen said he expected to be cleared to return to the court in August.
The forward averaged 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 48 percent from the floor and 39 percent from the three-point line in his second season with the Jazz.
Markkanen is eligible to sign a contract extension with the team this summer.
The Olympic Basketball Tournament begins on July 27 and runs through August 11.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops or on Instagram @BensHoops.
