CHELMSFORD has a new world champion gold medalist after Jim Palmer helped Great Britain stun the USA in the final of the World Championship in Hamburg.

The GB team claimed a 79-62 win over the Rio Paralympic champions for their first global gold medal.

George Bates and Harry Brown led the GB scoring with 17 points apiece.

Palmer, from Boreham, was an unused replacement for the basketball team, but still played his part in bringing home gold.

“From the build-up we were confident we could win this tournament,” Brown explained to BBC Sport.

“All the pressure was on the USA today. We knew if we played our game we would come out on top.”

The sides had met in the pool stage with the USA winning 66-59, but the GB players were confident they could turn the tables in the final.

There was never more than a basket or two in it in the opening quarter and in a tough, physical encounter, GB led by eight points in the second quarter - 38-30 - before the USA brought it back to 38-33 at the interval.

GB continued to maintain their advantage with coach Haj Bhania showing faith in his starting five of Brown, captain Phil Pratt, Gregg Warburton, Lee Manning and Simon Brown while Bates also came in to make a big impact in the second half.

They held firm and pulled away in the latter stages to spark scenes of jubilation among the players and fans.

Warburton was later named as the most valuable player of the tournament - a huge honour for the 21-year-old from Leigh who took up the sport as a 10-year-old.

“This is the start of something great,” added Pratt.

“I’ve just played against Matt Scott and Steve Sterio who were among my idols growing up - I watched hours of clips of them and now I have played against them and beaten them in a World Championship final. It is ridiculous.

“We definitely believed we could win.”