The United States wheelchair rugby team put forth a valiant effort but ended up short in the gold medal Paralympic game, losing out to Great Britain 49-54 to take home the silver medal.
According to the team’s official website, Co-Captain Chuck Melton (Richview, IL) shared his thoughts on the hard fought match “We gave it our all tonight,” said Melton. “We never gave up on the game, never gave up on each other just like we did the whole tournament. I love every single one of these guys.”
Great Britain had led most of the match, up after the first to periods 26-24. Team USA tried to close the gap and came within one before the fourth and final period.
It is the first medal for the Great Britain in wheelchair rugby and also marked the first time a European team had medaled in the sport since it was first included in the Paralympic Games. Japan beat Australia to win the bronze medal.
The United States is 31-4 in Paralympic competition and has been on the podium since the sport was introduced in Sydney in 2000. The team also won the silver in Rio in 2016.
thestandard.press 