Serio confident USA can win a hat-trick of Parapan Am titles

The US wheelchair basketball player is one of six returning from the team that won gold in Guadalajara 2011. 16 Jul 2015

Steve Serio of United States competes during the Wheelchair Basketball match between United States and Israel during the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.

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By Elin George | For the IPC

“Right now, our focus is on our first game with Columbia, who have a balanced inside-outside game and the tallest player in the world.”

With just six survivors from the team that won gold at Guadalajara 2011, the USA’s Steve Serio remains confident of landing his third consecutive gold medal in wheelchair basketball at August’s Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games.

In 2011, the 26-year-old was part of the US team that took gold with a 60-40 win against Colombia in Guadalajara, Mexico. He was also part of the gold-medal winning team in 2007 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“Winning the gold back in 2011 felt great,” Serio said. “That was the goal heading into the tournament in Mexico, and to achieve it gave our team a lot of confidence moving forward.”

For Toronto 2015, six players, including Serio, return from the US squad that competed in Guadalajara 2011 and won bronze at London 2012.

Despite having a different team from the gold-medal winning squad of 2011, Serio does not doubt that his “extremely talented” teammates, as he describes them, can repeat the success of previous years.

Team USA has been attending training camps that will run throughout the summer leading up the Games.

“These highly competitive training camps will prepare us for the challenges ahead,” said Serio, who believes the camps are building a team chemistry ahead of Toronto 2015.

USA have been drawn in Group A at Toronto 2015 alongside Puerto Rico, Colombia and Brazil. Their biggest challenge is likely to come from Group B in the shape of hosts and London 2012 Paralympic champions Canada.

“Each team we will face presents different challenges,” Serio said. “Canada is the host team with an intriguing mix of veterans and young players.

“Right now, our focus is on our first game with Columbia, who have a balanced inside-outside game and the tallest player in the world.”

The Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games will feature 1,608 athletes from 28 countries competing in 15 sports. All Parapan Am sports contested in Toronto will be qualifying opportunities for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

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