The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Pride in a silver medal, but Lee wanted more
There was great pride, mixed with a hint of regret, for former Jack Hunt School student Lee Manning after the Paris Paralympics.
The 34 year-old city man played a huge part in a recordequalling GB performance in the wheelchair basketball competition.
The team reached the final for the first time since 1996, but couldn’t stop the United States from winning a third gold medal in a row, the first time that has happened in Paralympic history.
Manning topped the GB scoring charts with 21 points in a final they lost 73-69 after battling back from a 12-point deficit early in the final quarter.
Manning also hustled impressively when defending. One of the tallest players in the game at 6ft 4in, he helped keep his side in touch as he pulled down eight rebounds in the first half alone.
But Manning admitted he experienced a bittersweet feeling at the end of a competition which saw GB win their first five matches by big margins before finding the United States just a little too strong,
"It is bittersweet as at least with the bronze medal, you win that last game," Manning said. "I really wanted that gold, but I'm so proud of the team. We're together in victory, and we'll be together in defeat. We will pick ourselves back up.
"It was difficult. We gave everything we could. There
were mistakes along the way and I'm sure there are things I will look back at on the video and go, 'Oh, I wish I could do that better. That's where we lost the game'.
"At least in the moment, we can say that we gave everything we could. Could we have done it better? Yes of course, but we enjoyed a very strong tournament.”
Manning still upgraded
his two Paralympic bronze medals from Rio and Tokyo on his third attempt and admitted there will always be pride in his performance.
Manning added: "I'm immensely proud. It's not the medal I wanted, but it's still one I will cherish."
Manning, who plays professionally in Spain, scored a total of 105 points across six matches.
In the group games he scored 18 points in a 76-55 win over Germany and 19 points in a 88-58 thrashing of Canada before adding 12 points in an 85-50 drubbing of hosts France.
Manning added 21 points in an 88-64 win over Australia in the quarter-final and then 14 points in a big 71-43 win over Germany in the semifinal.
In the final the United States were 23-18 up after one period and 38-31 in front at half-time.
The lead was stretched to 53-43 at three-quarter time before GB rallied in the final 10 minutes and they got to within three points with a couple of minutes to go before accepting defeat.
Manning fell in love with basketball after attending a
taster session at Jack Hunt when he was 15 in 2005.
He then joined local club Peterborough Phoenix and earned his first GB call-up to a training camp aged just 16. He was soon fast-tracked into the senior squad.
He has won medals with the GB in the World and European Championships, and the Commonwealth Games as well as the Paralympics.