Britain’s wheelchair basketball team ended the Games on a high earlier today, securing their best placed finish since Atlanta.
Following their disappointing quarter final loss to Germany yesterday the British team produced a clinical display to dispose of Mexico 59-37 and record their best finish since the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, seventh place.
After finishing eighth in Beijing and sixth at the 2010 World Championships, the GB women came to London 2012 with hopes of making the top five, or even snatching a medal. However group A proved to be tough for the home team, with heavy defeats to The Netherlands and Australia.
Victory against Brazil raised hopes, however Germany ended their medal chances earlier in the week and the British players were left playing for pride. The two teams had traded blows early on, throughout a neck-and-neck first half which was edged by Mexico. A clinical third quarter led to twelve unanswered points for Britain and put the game beyond Mexico’s reach.
The Mexican’s resolve faded further over the closing stages as Helen Freeman and Amy Conroy found their range, and Britain raced away to win 59-37. For Freeman, who was GB’s top-scorer of the tournament with 97 points from six games, beating Mexico was a “bitter sweet” way to end.
“It’s not the position we’d have hoped to finish in but we did the job today. It’s nice to have a win, the crowd deserves it.”
The team are already looking to build on the progress they’ve made here with a medal in Rio being the target. Co-Captain Louise Sugden said: “We have proved we can play with the best teams in the world, and now we just have to learn how to win. A medal in Rio, without a doubt, is the goal going forward.”
Beth Shine, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
