TERRY BYWATER insists that wild horses couldn’t stop him dragging his weary limbs to Rio 2016 and exacting revenge for his London 2012 disappointment after Great Britain failed to defend their wheelchair basketball bronze.

Bywater, 29, and co lost out to Canada in their semi-final but they had high hopes of beating their across-the-Pond rivals for bronze, just as they had done 85-77 at Beijing 2008.

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, and even though Bywater isn’t, he has already featured at four Paralympics.

But Bywater 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’d like to think that body willing I’ll be at Rio 2016. This was my fourth Paralympics, I’m only 29 but the pace of the game is just changing every day,” he said.

“But I feel like I have to get there. I missed out on a medal in my home Paralympics and I want revenge in four year’s time.

“We’ve been living the dream at London 2012, it’s been an unbelievable experience but we just didn’t get the icing on the cake.

“We’ve shown that we are the best team in Europe and that we are one of the best teams in the world and every single person that has seen this sport wants to see it on television more and in the media more – everybody loves wheelchair basketball and I want to be a part of continuing that.”

After a cagey opening that saw the deadlock remain locked for more than two-anda- half minutes, the USA settled the quicker and moved into a 17-10 lead after the first quarter and had extended that to 29-20 by half-time.

Great Britain, and Bywater especially, came out swinging however and levelled things up a 33-33 only to go in at the end of the third quarter 39-33 down and with it all to do in the last quarter.

And while Bywater, who finished top-scored for the host nation with 14 points, admitted Great Britain gave themselves too much to do after a poor start, he remains convinced the host nation had the beating of the USA.

“That was one of the hardest games I’ve ever played in, they have some really quick guys and they are on of the best teams in the world,”

added Bywater.

“They did a hell of a job defensively on us but from our perspective the first 20 minutes just weren’t good enough and it just left us too much to do.

“When you’re out on the floor playing with that intensity to get it back and get level it just takes it out of you and when you get there and then see them pull ahead again it just scars you emotionally.

“At half-time we just had to relax out there. There were 12,000 people out there and it’s a home Paralympics so there is pressure on us but we play much better when we relax.

The first 20 minutes we were too nervous but we have to be proud of ourselves.”