The hardest Olympic team to make (any sport)?

USA Basketball

USA Swimming by a long shot. Two Olympic spots for events that can sometimes go 4 or 5 deep. It has cost the US many a Bronze medal over the years.

Indian cricket team...

Do the research

I'd say it's between China table tennis, USA basketball and Kenya marathon.

Afghanistan women's beach volleyball.

the correct answer is USA basketball

Chinese Table Tennis must be rather tough team to make.

How about the Jamaican M's 4x100m team? They have active competitors ranked 1,3,4,6, & 7 All-Time! Certainly there can't be any individual event in T&F harder to qualify for. In past, maybe Kenyan steeple squad, or US M's LJ in the late 80's-early 90's.

USA Basketball is pretty good choice, in the original "Dream Team" days, for sure, now not all the best guys always play.

US Men's Swimming is really tough, since Lochte and Phelps might combine to take half the available spots in individual events.

Wait for it... wrote:

Indian cricket team...

Do the research

Considering cricket is not a current Olympic sport...

To the OP's original question, I'd nominate the Kenyan steeplechase team.

im no expert in all other sports in the world, but the more i think about it, the more i think the kenyan marathon team really is the hardest team in the world to make my thinking is basically the fact that there are at least 2 kenyan guys who were among the favorites for olympic gold who didnt even make the team (some of that has to do with the selection process though). i cant think of another situation where multiple serious gold medal contenders are left home.

How about NZ shot put (national record holder Jacko Gill not selected) or various Canadian track and field people who have met the Olympic standard and are tops in Canada but somehow not good enough?

good look with that wrote:

Afghanistan women's beach volleyball.

This, except for all the wrong reasons.

I'll agree with Kenyan marathon team. There are a minimum of 2 guys who legitimately could win the Marathon and yet won't even make the team.

Probably an Olympic equestrian team. Making one of those a complete accident of birth. If you're not born wealthy, like 99.999% of the world, there's no way you're gonna be looking pretty while riding a horse in the Olympics.

The Ethiopian Marathon team isn't easy either - Geb didn't make it!!