Ilona Maher, Kristi Kirshe, and Sarah Levy helped Team USA make history Tuesday, capturing the country’s first medal in women’s rugby with a win over Australia in the bronze medal match at the Paris Olympics.
This may be one of the most incredible finishes you'll ever see — in rugby or maybe in any sport.
The U.S. women their first Olympic rugby sevens medal with a stunning stoppage-time comeback win over Australia in the bronze-medal match on Tuesday.
The 2016 champion Australians were leading 12-7 with seconds remaining and deep in U.S. territory. The ball went to Alex Sedrick and she bumped off two tacklers before racing the length of the field, all the way to the other end to score and spark jubilation for the Americans.
For those unfamiliar with the sport: What occurred would basically be similar to a 90-yard score on the final play of an NFL game as time expired.
The U.S. women reached the Olympic semifinals for the first time and lost to defending champion New Zealand. That made the playoff for a third a case of winning a medal or going home without.
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The Americans rushed onto the field to celebrate the 14-12 victory. Sammy Sullivan was in tears. Ilona Maher raised both arms up in triumph. Bruce Springsteen's “Born in the U.S.A.” blared over the stadium speakers.
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The U.S. women had to wait until after the final between New Zealand and Canada to take their place on the podium. New Zealand topped Canada 19-12 in the gold medal match.
