By Gerard Meagher

Simon Munn has dismissed suggestions that London 2012 was his Paralympic swansong after Great Britain failed to defend their bronze medal on Saturday as the USA exacted revenge for the 2008 defeat.

Munn and co lost out to Canada in their basketball semi-final but they had high hopes of beating their across-the-pond rivals for bronze, just as they had done 85-77 in Beijing.

But after a nervous start Great Britain slipped to a 61-46 defeat in the bronze medal match and had to settle for fourth – another piece of history between the two nations at the Games.

As well as their Beijing showdown, the Brits prevailed in the Athens 2004 quarter-final with Ade Adepitan famously holding his nerve from the free throw line at the death while at Sydney 2000, the Americans triumphed in the bronze medal match.

This defeat would seem to mark the end of an era for a number of Great Britain players – 11 of the 15 in London were also in Beijing while most are the wrong side of 30 – or in Munn’s case 44. But Munn, from Peacehaven, is adamant that he does not intend to call time on his career just yet, claiming the only way to do so would be with a medal around his neck.

“I am certainly going to go towards Rio, I can’t answer for anyone else but I will definitely be trying for it,” said Munn.

“The USA defence did do a bit of a job ton us, it’s just a bit of a blur to be honest. I’ve no idea what happened really.

“I just feel bitterly disappointed and disappointed for all the supporters who have followed us through this competition. They’ve been absolutely fantastic and I feel like we’ve let them down.

“It’s a home Paralympics, it has been fantastic and it has been highlighting our sport.

"People have seen our sport on a massive stage and that can only be beneficial to us but at the moment I feel deflated and I feel like we’ve let everyone down.

“We went out with a game plan and we didn’t execute it and that was the problem. They did a good job on us but we couldn’t do what we should have been able to do.”

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