Claire Taggart says she will consider her future after a 5-2 defeat by Indonesia’s Gischa Zayana in the BC2 women’s individual boccia bronze medal match at the Paralympics.
The Great Britain competitor from Larne was was always behind in the contest, chasing the game after going 0-4 down after two ends.
Taggart was beaten 3-2 Korea’s Soyeong in the semi-finals earlier on Sunday.
“I‘m absolutely gutted – I just feel like I’ve worked so hard for this and I feel like I’ve let my friends and family down,” she said.
“I’m gutted for me, my family and for the community I live in who really support me and are massive advocates of me. I’m absolutely devastated. I need to take a little bit of a break and decide what I do from there. I’m just feeling absolutely gutted and devastated right now.”
The 29-year-old, who first competed at Rio in 2016 and is now a three-time Paralympian, won two gold medals at the 2022 Boccia World Cup in Portugal and later the same year clinched gold at the Boccia World Championships in Rio.
Taggart will be back on court to play as part of the BC1/2 Team along with Kayleigh Haggo and David Smith OBE.
“It’s always a good opportunity to play in the team and it’s something that definitely picks up my mood so it will be good to do that. But coming home after such highs of last night in winning the quarter-finals last night and then to lose these two games today, one within my own control and then that one, I just wasn’t good enough.
“The four-year cycle is so long and this is the only time we get to showcase our sport and to have failed so terribly is heartbreaking.”
Meanwhile, Great Britain women have lost to China 47-62 in wheelchair basketball in their final pool match although Katie Morrow from Northern Ireland did not play in the game.
