 The German team started off slow in its games against the United States and China at the 2012 Summer Paralympics , winning these games by slim six @-@ point margins . Marina Mohnen thought that they played their best basketball only in the final minutes of a game . They defeated the Australia women 's national wheelchair basketball team at the 2012 Summer Paralympics by 44 – 58 in front of a crowd of over 12 @,@ 000 at the North Greenwich Arena to win the gold medal . It was the first gold medal that Germany had won in women 's wheelchair basketball at the Paralympics since 1984 . They were awarded the Silver Laurel Leaf by President Joachim Gauck in November 2012 , and were named Team of the Year for 2012 . Glinicki celebrated by plunging off Canary Wharf into London 's River Thames . He was named Hamburg 's coach of the year for 2012 . 
