Americans surprise Australia by scoring a last-second goal to take bronze in women’s rugby.
The Americans surprised Australia with an extra-time try in the final seconds to secure 14-12 victory, and then win the bronze medal for female rugby in the 2024 Paris Games.
The American women looked to play spoilers against Australia and its fast-paced offense in the bronze medal match. The U.S. women entered the match guaranteed to have their best finish at an Olympic rugby tournament, after finishing sixth in Tokyo and fifth in Rio. They punctuated the opportunity with a last-second upset and a 14-12 win over Australia to claim the bronze medal.
The Americans took the win at the end of the game during which Alex Sedrickstiffed arm to get over the Australian defense, then sprinted across the vast majority of the field before putting the ball to the middle of the goal to score the game-winning goal. Under extreme stress, she converted her own kick to the Americans to secure the victory to the Americans.
After the game, Ilona Maher was trying to comprehend the events of the past. “I still haven’t fully absorbed the experience. I’m exhausted, but I’m extremely thrilled. I’m not sure if it’ll be fully absorbed until we are back with the medals. We put in a lot of effort. We wanted this award, not for us, however, but to honor our family members. It was a difficult couple of decades, however we made it.”
In the opening game, Maddison in the first, Levi continued her streak of success by scoring the 13th attempt in the Paris Games to give Australia the lead of 7-0. The 13 tries are the highest ever scored at a single Olympic Games. Ilona Maher played the Americans with a strong sprint midway through the opening game, but she was unable to score the try. U.S. squad was slowed in the final moments before they scored. It was a sloppy play by the Americans are in the middle of carrying out a well-known sequence at the time Teagan Levi got dismissed for a high-tack.
With the advantage of man on the man advantage, the Americans scored several times. The most promising opportunity was a close try from Kayla Canett, but Faith Nathan tackled her off the line to prevent the score. After it’s restart Canett was able to make up the lost attempt with a forceful tackle in the attempt zone to reclaim the ball to United States. United States. The following scrum was the moment that the three-time Olympian Alev Kelter made through Australia to the zone of try. She scored her own try to draw the score to seven, and that’s the way both teams ended up going into the half.
Australia threatened at the start of the second period through a threatening running attack by Maddison Levi However, Sariah Paki was able to knock the ball off after receiving a pass during the attempt.
The Americans defense was able to slow down the explosive Australia attack for most during the second period. Despite their defensive prowess an offside penalty was awarded to a scrum, turning the ball into Australia just 90 seconds remaining. the Levi sisters reacted in giving Australia the lead after Maddison scored a try to score her 14th goal in the competition.
In the subsequent kickoff after the kickoff, the Australians took a risky decision in order to throw the ball far after on kickoff. Ariana Ramsey set her SedrickSedrick upup to take the ball deep inside the American territory. Olympic newcomer played her job, she and pushed Teagan Levi on the floor, and then ran across the entire playing field in order to draw the game. She scored her own touchdown off the posts and gave the Americans the win of 14-12 during the bronze-medal match.
The Americans made an unlikely comeback to win their first ever medal in either women’s or male’s sevens. It’s also the first medal to be awarded in the sport of rugby (15s also known as sevens) by the U.S. since 1924 when the men took home gold. By winning, the head coach Emilie Bydwellbecame the first female head coach to coach a team to the medal of any sort.
As Olympic rugby gears up for the 2028 Olympics at Los Angeles Maher hopes the win will be instrumental in propelling American rugby ahead. “I believe it will mean that we will see more games played in venues like this, so that we receive more money and support for the women’s sport. We deserve it. There are more girls in the US taking up rugby and observing what it can do offer them.”